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Matthew Kneale's Rome
Rome is a city where layers of history reveal themselves at every turn: ancient temples and winding streets sit alongside traditional bars, beloved pasta dishes and memories of liberation. Matthew Kneale, author of The Shortest History of Rome, shares some of the places, flavours and stories that bring the Eternal City to life.
We asked Kneale how he’d spend just 24 hours in Rome, where to find a favourite local treat, which moment in the city’s history he finds most moving, and what surprised him while researching the book.
If you only had 24 hours in Madrid, where would you go?
Skip the big museums. They' re too crowded anyway these days. Nstead, take a long walk through the winding streets of the city centre, get lost a few times, try and get a sense of the layer of the past all around You. But be sure to book a slot to see the Pantheon - classical Rome's finest temple, which has survived hardly changed from those times.
What’s the best local secret you’ve come across?
Maratozzi. You will find these at most good traditional bars - a large bun fitted with whipped cream. They used to be available on in winter but I now see them all year round in some places. Not for dieters but delicious!
What’s your favourite historical moment connected to the city?
The liberation of Rome, May 1944, For all but the tiny minority of Romans who helped the Nazi occupiers, this was a time of simple, wild joy as the month of fear, hunger and resistance came to an end.
What’s the most surprising fact you learned while researching or writing the book?
That Rome was founded by pig farmers. Then again, Rome's most famous pasta sauces have bacon - amatriciana, gricia and the king of Roman pastas, carbonara.
The Shortest History of Rome by Matthew Kneale explores the people, passions, politics and culture that have shaped the Eternal City, from its ancient beginnings to the vibrant capital of today.
About the author
Matthew Kneale studied modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford and is an acclaimed author of both fiction and nonfiction. His novel English Passengers was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. Rome: A History in Seven Sackings was a Sunday Times bestseller. He has lived in Rome for more than two decades.
More about Matthew Kneale
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