City of Saints: Rebuilding Rome in the Early Middle Ages by Maya Maskarinec
Stephen Joyce
Reviewed by: City of Saints: Rebuilding Rome in the Early Middle Ages by Maya Maskarinec Stephen Joyce Maskarinec, Maya, (Middle Series), Philadelphia, University Pennsylvania Press, 2018; hardback; pp. 320; 21 colour, 33 b/w illustrations; R.R.P. US $55.00, £42.00; ISBN 9780812250084. Maskarinec's new study on early medieval utilizes theories space and place to analyse impact city itself landscape Christianity. Articulating as a 'storehouse saints' within an 'ecosystem sanctity' (p. 6), examines visceral wider Church through case studies involving Byzantium Francia period from [End Page 270] sixth eight centuries. Her focus is influence cults patronized endorsed Rome, but with emphasis saints not native city. In Chapter 1, uses variety sources take reader walking tour seen eyes Frankish visitor mid-eighth century. Select areas sketched out this stylized walk subsequently form backdrop for closer analysis rest volume. The next five chapters explore Eastern localized urban Rome. 2 concentrates Forum Romanum, special interest Byzantine imperial authority eighth eastern established period, soldier-saints, adds significant evidence ways which projected its interests 3 extends approach Palatine presence soldier-saints such Sts Sergius Bacchus, along patronage foreign deep connections former Western St Caesarius. Subsequently explored charitable foundations built around substantial Greek communities Tiber, noted patronizing emphasizing powers spiritual physical healing, including seminal soldier-saint, George. Moving elites Aventine Hill, 5 describes how rich fashioned unique based archetypes who were themselves aristocrats service Finally, 6 investigates papacy invoked home all popes' role guardians their memory. Chapters 7 8 move Carolingian post-Carolingian world absorbed complex context ties embracing Roman reform. Returning text influential 1—the Einsiedeln Compilation—Maskarinec explores four monasteries Fulda, Weissenberg, Prüm, Reichenau imported Caesarius, well Subsequently, she martyrology Ado Vienne (d. 875) way came be integrated into perspectives. An epilogue highlights importance condition universality. book concludes useful appendix venerated c. 500–800. There much admire book. actuality has raised some interesting perspectives cultivation projection universal authority. However, structural weaknesses muddy these perspectives, particularly weighting given Francia. sense importer saints, what means both internal external authority, quite matched exporter indemnified might mean, again, 271] interact local there said methodology, one that, sense, combines an...
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