Bob Duggan reviews the new book The History of Rome in Painting, edited by Maria Teresa Caracciolo and Roselyne de Ayala.

Duggan writes: "… what I found most enlightening were the small wonders the team of specialists offered… Cimabue’s 'Ytalia' provides a bird’s eye view of Rome from the 13th century… Cimabue painted 'a political manifesto' showing how the empire of the Caesars now belonged to that of the Popes. It's amazing that such a small detail could say so much, but almost more amazing how easily it could be overlooked without such a resource as this book."