A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman Reveals the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native City

by G. Franco Romagnoli

Book Overview

An expatriate Roman vividly brings to life his native city, in this stunning travel guide that captures all of Rome's charms and contradictions, from the beautiful churches and palazzos to the small... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060519207
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.6" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Always changing yet eternal

A Thousand Bells at Noon is an affectionate, intelligent essay about the city of this transplanted Roman's birth. Loosely organized by chapter into various topics, it touches upon such subjects as what makes a "true" Roman (it's more than just living there), the impossibly temperamental system of government, the vagaries of historically categorizing Roman places, people, and events, and the joys of wandering Trastevere, one of the oldest and most representative of Rome's many neighborhoods. Romangnoli probably never intended this collection to be either guidebook or memoir, simply the setting down on paper of his thoughts and impressions of a place he knows well and loves dearly. Reading these essays brings back memories of visits to the Eternal City and evokes a bit of its essence.

One of best insight of Rome.

Fascinating....and the review is coming from a 'Romano de Roma'.

Remembering Home

This book represents the musings of a native son of Rome, returning for an extended visit home after a lifetime living abroad. Romagnoli, now in his 70s, grew up in Rome, leaving it for America some 50 years earlier with his American wife. As this book begins, the widowed Romagnoli, newly re-married to another American, is returning to Rome to re-establish his ties. During the tax ride from the airport, Romagnoli considers the concept of "native". He was born in Rome, but that doesn't qualify him as truly Roman. To be truly Roman, all ancestors to 7 generations back must have been born and lived in Rome. While his mother was a Roman, his father was a "pellegrino," an immigrant from the North. The taxi driver points out some of the more recent pellegrinos they pass on the way to Romagnoli's rented flat. This is a suitable introduction to the book-rather than focus on the sights or manners of the Romans, Romagnoli considers broad topics of special import to Italians. In each subsequent chapter, he takes up a different topic in turn, such as government, health care, the fountains, religion, and transportation. But he develops each of these topics from his experiences on this particular trip. By the time you finish reading this book, you will feel you have had a series of long conversations with a Roman about how the city works, and how Romans feel about it.

Bravissimo!

Having had the pleasure of living in Rome, I was thrilled to read this book. Franco's memoir of his beloved city is lovingly written and he captures the very essence of what it is like to spend a few months there and really get to know the neighborhoods. To write about Rome is to take on a daunting task: how can you begin to describe a city that is layered with 2,000 years of civilization? The only way is through personal experience and Franco's book opens the door to this most mysterious and wild, yet sophisticated place. A must for anyone planning a trip there and better yet, if you've already been there and want to reminisce.