The Eternal City has been a magnet for pilgrims for much of the last two thousand years. This travel monograph acts as a modern-day handbook to Rome and the main holy sites, examining the impulse that makes pilgrims of us all, believers and sceptics alike.

A guide to Rome's Christian monuments, explained and put into context by an examination of the history of pilgrimage, from its most ancient forms to more modern, even secular practice. Supplements a good guide book to Rome, ideal for anyone with a deeper interest in the beliefs and myths that have built the living city, for the Christian visitor or for the specialist. Author Annabel Barber, editor-in-chief of the Blue Guides, wears her scholarship lightly, making this book as essential and accessible to the casual pilgrim as to the academic specialist. Also covers such practicalities as where to stay and eat, relevant websites, English-language services, opening times and so on, with appendices explaining indulgences, listing popes, quoting key prayers and given other useful background. Pilgrim's Rome is part of our new Blue Guides Travel Monograph series, useful companions to supplement a good guide book and reach the parts not usually reached by the major series.