The Fountains of Rome.
New York: Macmillan Company: a Giniger Book, 1966. Item #913 Tall 8vo. 250 x 190 mm., [10 x 7 ½ inches]. 302 pp. Illustrated with 49 color photographs by Mario Carrieri, maps, historical views, and portraits of the Popes throughout the text. Pale blue publisher’s cloth, dust jacket. A very good copy. First American edition, published simultaneously with the London edition. One of the great modern books on Rome, a veritable guide to every sector of the city, focusing on the ancient construction and more modern repair of the water system and fountains of Rome. The text is full of historical information documenting the planning and construction of the fountains and how the city developed around these life-giving monuments. The Trevi Fountain is the most famous in the city but Morton delves deeply into the markets, gardens, private homes and civic spaces where these architectural and hydraulic wonders provide water and amusement to the city’s residents. The photographs by Mario Carrieri, printed in vivid color, illustrate the artistry and baroque designs of many of Rome’s fountains and their integration as architectural monuments into the cityscape. As a personal note, on my third trip to Rome in the 1990’s I used a later edition of Morton’s book as my guide to the city, visiting as many of the fountains as I could find. It gave me a much greater understanding of Rome both as a historical landscape and as a living modern city. I really love this book.
Price: $200.00