The church-builders of the Middle Ages treated the architecture of ancient Rome like a quarry full of prefabricated building materials. This resulted in some very eclectically and ingeniously constructed churches. In The Spolia Churches of Rome we learn of the principles for the distribution of these antique architectural elements and the significance of breaking down and building on the past. Also presented here is a selection of eleven particularly beautiful churches featuring a wide variety of spolia. This book also contains maps and other practical information which make it the ideal companion when seeking out the past in modern-day Rome.

Maria Fabricius Hansen is an art historian and associate professor at the University of Copenhagen. She has written books and articles on the legacy and presence of antiquity in medieval and Renaissance art and architecture. This book, which is both an introduction to the spolia churches of medieval Rome and a guide to eleven selected churches, is based on a longer thesis on the subject, The Eloquence of Appropriation (Rome 2003).

A particularly robust approach to Rome's antique past was taken in the Middle Ages, spanning from the Late Antiquity in the fourth century, until roughly the thirteenth century AD. The Spolia Churches of Rome looks at how the church-builders treated the architecture of ancient Rome like a quarry full of prefabricated material and examines the cultural, economic and political structure of the church and how this influenced the building's design. It is this trend of putting old buildings to new uses which presents an array of different forms of architecture and design within modern day Rome. This book is both an introduction to the spolia churches of medieval Rome, and a guide to eleven selected churches.

Recycling Antiquity Introduction Historical background Spolia in the Early Christian basilica Principles for the distribution of spolia Building on the past Materials and meaning Old and new side by side Selected spolia churches The Lateran Baptistery Sant'Agnese San Clemente Santa Costanza San Giorgio in Velabro San Lorenzo fuori le Mura Santa Maria in Cosmedin Santa Maria in Trastevere San Nicola in Carcere Santa Sabina Santo Stefano Rotondo Practical Information Other noteworthy spolia churches Timeline Popes Glossary Materials Bibliography Index