This "Life" introduction to the peninsula provides a bit of the history of the places with loosely identified photographs and helpful Index.

"In few places is history as palpable as in Italy." While that insight is brilliant and apt, the essays are spotty and woodenly free of exegetic nuance.

For example, Chapter 2 in particular looks to the Roman "Imperial Legacy". Ecce libretto!

One early Founder myth is that Rome was established on the Palatine Hill, roughly the center of Seven. The author notes the fratricidal parallel between the twin Founders, Romulus and Remus, with Cain and Abel. Then this echo is dropped. Archeo-literarily, this reverberating echo through Religion extends to today. Roman "Catholics" continue to worship Ieus(us) Christo in the Pantheon literally built by pagan universalists. Credit to Augustus and Admiral Aggripus.The Pantheon, or "Temple for all gods", is among the most beautiful ever built, and still stands. Sadly, neither pictured nor mentioned. Kubly does at least mention Hadrian, ruling the empire from 161-180, and remarkable champion of the middle class and poor.

After Diocletian divided the vast domains of the "crumbling Empire", Constantine rose to defeat his enemies during the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312, with his legions painting crosses on their shields. The author suggests that Constantine "changed the religion of the greatest empire in history", and so molded western civilization "more than any other single ruler". After Constantine's death, ancient Rome also died. "Christ had triumphed over Caesar, and the Fourth Century, which had begun with pagans persecuting Christians, ended with Christians persecuting pagans. Italy's second great period of history was over." [28] And "a long decline now began".

OK, this is very confusing, and is not really "history". The author notes that "relics of Christianity's early days lie beneath St. Peter's, such as "by tradition, the bones of the Apostle Peter himself." No evidence of any of this is actually shown. Indeed, a "Pagan sculpture of glowing beauty" found under St. Peter's Cathedral includes a "satyr carrying an infant Bacchus". {You remember, the resurrected son of Zeus who brought wine to humans.[35]}.

Few of the ruins of the Augustan-Flavian golden age are shown. While nodding to "influences" of classical Rome on civilization, Kubly dives into the more immediate wonders of Italy. He provides a rich political description of Garibaldi and Mazzini, and the triumphs of Italian designers and artists in subsequent chapters. All out of order and completely losing any further parallels.

In the final chapter --"Hopeful Road for an Enduring People"--the author begins with a detailed description of the terrible bands of small boys who prey upon tourists, "the scugnizzi". [146] He underlines the "need for fresh approaches to the social and educational problems that are the core of Italy's dilemma today". The country has inexhaustible "springs of vitality", but is plagued by an "immature and uninformed electorate" {148 a, b}. Really?

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