A Guide to Baroque Rome: The Churches

The classic Guide to Baroque Rome was called ‘the greatest architectural guidebook ever written’. Over 300 entries discuss the churches’ history, design, construction and significant features, including paintings.

Anthony Blunt’s Guide to Baroque Rome, the fruit of a lifetime’s work, was a pathbreaking book when it was originally published, and was called ‘the greatest architectural guidebook ever written’. Each of the over 300 entries discusses in detail the history of the church, its design and construction, as well as its significant features and decoration (including paintings). Much new information has been amassed since the original edition appeared and in this revised edition care has been taken to make this material as accessible as possible, whether it is an appraisal of the patronage history of a particular chapel, a new attribution, or the full significance of a fresco cycle. Full references and indexes are provided in a clearer format than hitherto. Dr Michael Erwee worked on this new edition for fifteen years. Editorial support was provided by Lisa Adams, Sebastian Wormell and Dany McNutt of the Courtauld Institute.

Anthony Blunt was one of the leading art historians of the 20th century, and a famous teacher, although his career was overshadowed in the public mind by his activities as a spy. He wrote extensively on art of all periods, but his greatest interest was in Rome of the later 17th century. He died in 1983.