Rome, the "Eternal City", is a unique palimpsest dating back to Antiquity. However, beyond the historic center built over millennia on the famous seven hills – another Rome exists, one of large and often stunning modern neighborhoods, housing estates, schools, and public buildings. When Rome became Italy’s capital in 1871, the population increased extensively and the city exceeded its boundaries since Roman times, the Aurelian Walls. This extraordinary transformation laid the foundation for many new quarters built to accommodate civil servants and rural migrants, drawing on vernacular and ancient Roman traditions and blending past and present. This book looks at Rome’s evolution and architecture from the 19th century onwards, embodying a kind of "Splendid Ordinary" – a journey that is full of discoveries.

• With contributions by Lucio Barbera, Anna Irene Del Monaco, Jean-François Lejeune, Salvatore Santuccio, Daniel Solomon
• Attractive in-depth portraits of 16 neighborhoods with photographs and drawings
• An excursion on post-WWII Italian cinema highlights the locations of famous movies