An Elephant in Rome: Bernini, The Pope and The Making of the Eternal City

I thoroughly enjoyed this well written, well produced book about the 17th century development of baroque Rome. Bernini was very much at the centre of that redevelopment, and his work will be seen in any modern day visit, particularly the work he did at the Vatican.This book focus on the sculptures and obelisks which were a feature of the period and in particular on the erection of a small obelisk on the back of an elephant which was, and is, situated in the Piazza della Minerva.Along the way there are numerous anecdotes of Bernini's life and his relationships with various popes, kings and other sculptors. I learned about the discovery and erection of buried obelisks, and that there are more obelisks in Rome than in the whole of Egypt.The book is beautifully produced on high quality paper, with numerous illustrations, some over double pages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, studying the illustrations, and I learned a lot about Bernini and the Rome he lived in and did so much to beautify.The writing style makes for a very enjoyable read - simultaneously light and informative - and it made me dream of an early return to Rome.

But beware…this book by Grossman was also published by Pegasus in 2021 as “The Artist and the Eternal City.” The newly published version is not an expansion on “An Elephant in Rome” by Grossman published in 2020 by Pallas Athene.