My friends at Angelus Press sent me a copy of A Pilgrims Guide to Romes Principal Churches by Fr. Father Tylenda, SJ. Softcover, $29.95.
This is a handsome and useful book for anyone who is going to go to Rome and plans to visit churches, or who will be living in Rome for a while.
The book covers 51 important Roman churches, giving a history and description of each so that you are sure to see the most important features. It includes floor plans and many photos.
In the back of the book you find a bibliography, glossary, and an index of artists. The artist index is useful if you are trying to hunt down, say, all the painting by Guido Reni found in churches (a few are in museums).
I can tell that most of the photos are fairly recent, too, given the glimpses of scaffolds and cars and fashions. You don’t see, as in some books, cars from 1955.
The book is a softcover, and it really does flex and bend well. The cover is tough and the paper should be durable. It is made to be hauled around. The only drawback is that it is a little heavy. But the positives outweigh that point.
You could consider this as a Christmas gift to someone heading to Rome.
