Hollywood actors, fascist murderers. Bombs in San Lorenzo, la dolce vita on Via Veneto. Baroque fountains, umbrella pines. Urban planning, unregulated residential development. After half a century of living in Rome, David Lane turns his gaze to the events and landscapes of the Eternal City over the last century.

Scenes from a Roman Century begin with the murder of Giacomo Matteotti in 1924—the beginning of the end for the democracy of the interwar period—and end with organized crime and political violence of the present day. It slices through Rome's development under Mussolini's dictatorship and its fate during World War II; the economic miracle of the postwar decades; and the latest transformations of Rome with the transition to the new millennium.

Lane leads readers through narrow alleys, to the suburbs, and in front of monumental architecture, capturing cultural and political moments from Rome's past and present. He explores the material legacy of fascism throughout the city, terrorism and political extremism from both the right and the left, as well as the struggle to manage the burdens of economic development—ugly urban sprawl and the pressure of mass tourism on the historic center. As pilgrims arrive for the 2025 jubilee declared by Pope Francis, what does the future hold for this ever-changing city of history?

Pages: 280, Dimensions: 13.8x13.8cm