Storia della città di Roma nel medio evo, vol. 2/8

The narrative traces Rome's physical and civic decline after the collapse of the old imperial order, describing crumbling monuments, deserted streets, and the repurposing of classical buildings. It shows how monasticism—especially the Benedictine foundations and the work of figures such as Cassiodorus—spreads and reorders urban life through abbeys and cloisters that preserve learning and liturgy. The Roman Church emerges as the principal civic force, transforming ruins into a spiritual capital, consolidating papal authority, and negotiating power with Byzantine and Lombard rivals. Social impoverishment and pilgrimage culture coexist with institutional adaptation that lays groundwork for a medieval papal polity.