A Traveller in Rome

by H.V. Morton

H.V. Morton's evocative account of his days in 1950s Rome�the fabled era of La Dolce Vita�remains an indispensable guide to what makes the Eternal City eternal. In his characteristic anecdotal style, Morton leads the reader on a well-informed and delightful journey around the city, from the Fontana di Trevi and the Colosseum to the Vatican Gardens loud with exquisite birdsong. He also takes time to consider such eternal topics as the idiosyncrasies of Italian drivers as well as the ominous possibilities behind an unusual absence of pigeons in the Piazza di San Pietro. As TourismWorld.com commented recently: "H.V. Morton.. . .wrote of Rome with style, involvement, and passion. His book In Search of Rome is perhaps the definitive guide book on the Eternal City."

Genres: Travel, Italy, Nonfiction, History, British Literature

432 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1957

About the author

Henry Canova Vollam (H.V.) Morton, FRSL, was a journalist and pioneering travel writer from Lancashire, England, best known for his prolific and popular books on Britain and the Holy Land. He first achieved fame in 1923 when, while working for the Daily Express, he scooped the official Times correspondent during the coverage of the opening of the Tomb of Tutankhamon by Howard Carter in Egypt.

In the late 1940s he moved to South Africa, settling near Cape Town in Somerset West and became a South African citizen.

Reviews

[Emma Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading HV Morton is like looking into the past twice. You get his 1950s view of the world, and then you get his wonderful fascination with what was history to him. So you'll come across little mentions of society ladies from the twenties (who I've never heard of), hints on what was 'the done thing' in the fifties, insights into some of the prejudices of the time, a lot of military and WWII comparisons (an event obviously still fresh in his mind), and a sense of how much smaller the world was then, e.g. his astonishment at coming across a Chinese tourist in a quiet part of Rome. (This book is worth reading alone for discovering how much the experience of travel and tourism has changed, and how cities have had to evolve to cope.)

He loves Rome, that's clear. The amount of information in the book is impressive. He meets and obviously charms people, and is then invited into places and spaces normally off limits - like the Roman street beneath St Peters, or the Pope's garden, or the Swiss Guards' quarters. And he's transported, unlocking detail after detail until you're desperate to see what he's seen. This book reminds me of Jan Morris's Venice. Writers living in and writing about a city, wandering and discovering all sorts of hidden treasures, and making connections that sing for the reader. His intentions are good - he clearly tries to depict things as they 'really are' but can't avoid layering his own views and personality over them. So you begin to build a picture of him. Another great read is In Search of London where his mentions of pre-war society give you a feeling that that was his best time.

I suppose the only tiny grumble I have about the book are the closing chapters where he goes into minute detail about how the Vatican is run, and related information. Not hugely interesting to me but may be for other readers. But it's a tiny grumble. I loved this book.

[Lyn Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish that at least some of H.V. Morton’s travel writings would be reissued. I’ve read a number of his books now – a couple of his early ramblings exploring England, a couple of his Christianity focussed journeys, two or three on Italy.

They have all been marvellous, full of detail on people and places, historical and contemporary observations .

On a memorial plaque in his home town Ashton-under-Lyne it’s noted that ‘he has travelled around like a magpie, picking up bright things that pleased him, and recorded them for our pleasure’. Lovely image.

‘Witty, erudite and engaging’ is how he was described in the intro to a BBC 4 program on Morton, and his books are all of those things.

Reading him is a happy experience. I relish his eye, his choice of things to write about and his use of language.

He was deeply interested in history and archaeology, and endlessly curious, so that he would, and apparently could, go anywhere his curiosity took him. At this stage of his career (1950s) he had a considerable reputation as a writer of travelogues and had sold so many that he was quite wealthy.
Several of his books were devoted to his travels to places significant in the history of Christianity Through Lands of the Bible, In The Steps Of The Master, In The Steps Of St. Paul, Women of the Bible) and by the time he was writing about Rome his standing in the Christian world was such that he was able to obtain an audience with Pope Pius XII (before his Nazi relationships were known), stay in a nunnery, tour and wander through parts of the Vatican where ordinary members of the public could never go.

He explored grottos and catacombs, the ruins of ancient palaces, burial sites and endless churches. Water supply, engineering and architecture fascinated him, as did the culture and practice of the Catholic Church.

His sources ranged from ancient Roman writers onwards and where he didn’t have direct information he speculated happily, for instance on how Pliny’s friends would really have felt after they had endured two full days of him reading his own works and how the then-imprisoned Pope might have felt about seeing ‘the gilded figure of the King, who abolished the Papal States and drove the Pope out of the Quirinal’ from his prison.
He writes about:

The death of Cleopatra

Reluctant guests at ‘readings’ by authors and would-be authors. Pliny once read to his friends for two days, politely begged by them to continue, he did so. He was not a good reader. (150-151)

The history of the papacy

Romans’ obliviousness to the ruins around them: To live in a permanent state of historical or archaeological awareness in Rome would be to go mad.’

The deaths and churches of St Peter and St Paul

Why Rome fell? Thoughts while sitting on top of the Palatine Hill with an iced beer: ‘It could be argued that Rome did not fall but was transformed into a spiritual empire by the church. … no modern historian believes that the barbarians were the cause of the fall of the Western empire. The old oak was rotten inside long before the barbarians pushed it over’ .

Aqueducts and fountains

Musings on the history of shaving

Burying a dead kitten in Trajan’s market

Abandoned children and foster mothering

Details of ecclesiastical dress from a specialist outfitter – who could wear what, Fabrics, colours, accessories (hats, stockings, gloves, shoes) and trims.

Many visits to churches, their history, architecture, art works

Church doors: The so-called musical doors of the St John Lateran Baptistry, which came from the Baths of Caracalla. ‘As the guardian slowly moves one, it grates rather badly on its metal groove. Then the grate becomes a groan, and as the man continues to move the door a high note separates itself from the groan and goes singing and vibrating through the air. The sound completely fills the little building and I thought of a trumpet calling the pagan world to its altar. It is an imprisoned sound, a pagan sound, captive in this Christian building’.

I’ve given this four stars because it’s still a wonderful source if you’re interested in Rome beneath its modern surface, and mostly fun to read, apart from too much detail on churches for me.

More on Morton on these sites:
https://hvmorton.com/the-hv-morton-so...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._V._M...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while I was traveling in Italy and Greece and enjoyed it tremendously. I would also recommend it for the reader that is not traveling, but likes to read about other places. One tip if you are traveling, read it BEFORE you go on your trip to Rome.

[Julie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find that in my bones there is a certainty that a year without Dickens is like a year without sunshine. I'm not sure how H.V. Morton falls into "Dickens' Territory" unless it is the vastly woven tales of a place, but I realize that a year without H.V. Morton would be a bleak year indeed. I opened this up last night with a feeling of deep content.

This has been in my "to read" stack since I was given it and In the Steps of St. Paul last year. St. Paul won the 2013 toss but 2014 is my time to (armchair) visit Rome. Just in the first few chapters I realize I'd forgotten how well he weaves ancient history, Victorian times, and modern day (in this case 1957) into a sparkling travelogue.

And so I hop onto a Vespa, hold onto my hat with one hand, and am off!

UPDATE
Overall, this has been perfect bed-time reading with just enough travel wound in the history, and vice versa. I picked it up again most recently because I'm waiting for my latest fiction pick to get here from the library.

I find it less satisfying than In Search of London, perhaps because that book kept strictly to the center of the city, while this book roves over the countryside and all over the sprawling city of seven hills. It is still quite entertaining but never has the immediacy in making me choose it over other books. It is perfect "fill in the gap" reading.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Bryson, himself an excellent travel writer, considers H. V. Morton the greatest of all. After having read several of his books, I'm a believer. He is little known here in the US, but widely read elsewhere in the world. *A Traveller in Rome* describes several months that Morton spent in Rome. He seems to always have the inside scoop on everything and gains access to people and places that most don't even know about. This book was written in 1957, and a lot has changed in 50 years, but I was struck by how much is exactly as Morton described it then. Morton has a keen eye for telling detail and revealing anecdote. He has acquired a vast knowledge of the history of the city, but uses his visits to particular places to reveal this. (For some, however, there may be far too much history.) Like his other books, this book is written in short sections (revealing perhaps his journalistic background), and although it proceeds chronologically, you could almost begin reading anywhere. This is invaluable for anyone planning a trip to Rome, but it makes great reading also for those who just want a sense of the Eternal City.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dream is to return to Rome with this gem of a book and reread each chapter sitting in the place he is writing about. He really makes you feel like in you're in Rome. It was fun to get a little of the background about some of the places I saw when we were there last October. Rome is a magical city with so many layers. I hope to visit it again in the future.

[Fredr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful travel book, mixed with ancient history to current time from the 1950’s when it was written. The history of Rome from Imperial time through the history of the Catholic Church. I felt sad that I had finished the book, but will find H V Morton’s other travel books to explore more places.
This has helped my wanderlust during the time of Covid.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

хоть тут и куча не самой интересной инфомации про связь англии с римской историей, получила большое удовольствие

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never heard of H.V. Morton but something intrigued me about this book one day while scanning it at the local Borders Books. I found an easy chair, opened the book - and I was hooked before the plane that carried Morton to Rome was even past the Alps. Published in 1957, it remains useful to any intelligent person who would travel to Rome and is interested in its history. You will not find recommendations here on where to stay, or what restaurants to eat at, nor will you find opening and closing times of the museums. Those things can be found elsewhere. But if you want to get the feel of Rome, to understand Rome and Romans, then there is no better place than this. Displaying an encyclopedic knowledge of the city's history and culture, sprinkling in some humor, wit, and an appropriate sense of awe, Morton takes you on a trip around the Eternal City that could not be more delightful. Every step he takes seems to evoke a memory, or a story from the city's past. Even a walk up the stairs with Morton, after a few confrontations with his hotel's balky elevator, is a delight:

"For these reasons I often preferred to walk up the five flights of beautiful marble stairs. The exquisite steps of Rome are among my first memories: steps of marble and travertine, shallow Renaissance steps, so much kinder on the leg muscles than the steep steps of ancient Rome: steps curving left, right and centre from the Piazza di Spagna, as if to show you what steps can do if given the chance; noble steps up to S. Maria in Aracoeli; elegant steps to the Quirinal; majestic steps to St. Peter's and to innumerable churches, fountains, and palaces - the most wonderful steps in the world. Even the stairs in my pensione were poor relations of the Spanish Steps, and their marble treads and gentle gradient compensated me for those moments when the lift was cantankerous."

Later, we get this:

"I could never tire of the old streets near the Tiber, to the west of the Corso. There is something worth looking at and thinking about every two yards....[o:]ne is willing to forgive the Renaissance Popes many of their sins for the sake of the beauty they created and the genius they nourished. A great deal of the haphazard charm of old Rome is that its ground plan is mediaeval. The palaces of the sixteenth century were erected in the narrow streets of the fourteenth. Many of the great palaces have elbowed their way in apparently by sheer strength of character, and stand like great galleasses towering above some little mediaeval harbour. To pass, for instance, from the Campo de' Fiori to the Farnese Palace is to traverse several centuries in a few yards."

These kinds of insights appear on every page of "A Traveller in Rome." The second sentence in this last entry, to me, describes the entire book: "there is something worth looking at and thinking about every two yards". Every paragraph, every sentence, every step of Morton's journey, abounds with engaging and often fascinating observations, memories, and anecdotes. It is nothing less than an informal history of Rome, told by a man who has class, style, and erudition. My wife and I spent four days in Rome in 1997, not nearly long enough, but we visited many of the places Morton describes and oh, how I wish I had this book back then. How much more we would have gotten out of our trip. My wife picked up the book and read the first twenty or so pages - I had to steal it back from her - but it hooked her too. We both badly want to go back now. If you yourself are planning a Roman Holiday, you should read this book before and while you're there. You'll find no better tour guide than Mr. Morton.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morton is an incredible writer, there's no doubt about it. Some passages are so beautifully written that you take a big breath and then reread them, because the writing is so poetic and lush. I loved learning all the layers of certain monuments and neighborhoods, especially since I stayed in Rome for two months last summer and am planning on doing the same thing this summer. I took a ton of notes and also appreciated that I learned about some places I haven't even heard of that sound pretty amazing.

I had a few issues with the book-- Morton can be a tad snooty and condescending toward his fellow travelers, which is funny because Morton does make a few historical errors of his own. Also, I felt that some parts dragged on but mostly those were the parts that didn't have to do with Ancient Rome. Since I teach Latin and have a big knowledge base about Ancient Rome, it could be that those parts only dragged because I didn't pick up the references.

I think the best way to read this book would be to bring it to Rome and not read it in order but instead to look up in the index a place you are going to and read it on site. His transitions are a little weak but his writing is so powerful that this would make a great travel book for someone exploring Italy.

So, I'd say-- as a book to be read here in Boston it has some weaknesses, but as a travel companion it's fantastic.

[keith koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

HV Morton, an Englishman writing in 1957, takes you back to a lost world in several ways...his approach to the subject is so out-of-time, it is beyond quaint. He comes from a time when a fellow could show up and, on the strength of being a gentleman, find someone to show him places that you and I will never be invited to in the 21st century....there is always a docent with a key, a friendly priest, or an otherwise willing local to bring him underground in the Vatican or into an ancient library or monastery. He describes a procession of rulers, poets, saints, popes, writers, artists etc. that a modern writer would probably not bother with. The richness of this book is unmatched. And his descriptions of his walks around town, into courtyards and secluded gardens, will make you wistfully wonder if such places could possibly still exist 60 years later, and search for them when you get there. And his (unfortunately very few) comic descriptions of colorful characters he meets along the way are Mark Twain-ish. Find a hard cover version of this book - it just feels more appropriate.

[Anne Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blends the sights & sounds of 1950's Rome with stories of 3rd, 5th, 8th, 11th & 18th Century Roman times, transporting the reader to other eras by visualizing the architecture, landscape, politics & simple daily events of the times. A true pleasure to read as the writer so eloquently takes us with him on his then present-day journey through this magnificent ancient city! Armchair travelers rejoice & enjoy!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rome of 1958...so long ago in American years yet only yesterday in Italian time. Having lived in that great city for almost 5 years, I was fascinated that little has changed since Morton’s era. From the neighborhood bar to the sounds of the streets, Rome at its heart does not change. I learned much about Italy that I did not know — especially Papal history — and have many sites to explore upon my eventual return thanks to Mr. Morton. It is truly stated: “Roma una vita non basta!”

[SraKathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one Englishman’s lengthy travel journal written during his time there in 1950’s Rome. It is a guidebook, a history of the world, and most importantly a love letter to Rome and the Vatican. I thoroughly enjoyed living vicariously through Morton’s book, and I’m sure I will go back to it as a reference. I can’t wait to return to Rome and explore!

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found one of Morton's other books a few years ago and found them enjoyable, modern enough in style to be readable, but far enough in the past to be very much of another era. A $2.50 op-shop find, I think I learnt more Roman and Christian history from reading this than from years at school. Surprisingly more history than travel

[KevinS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this travelogue written in the 50's by a fan of historical Rome, as he meanders through the high points of the city. Full of interesting asides and gossipy stories about the sites, artwork, ruins, history, and charms of the city.

[Rob Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morton never disappoints. His grasp of the places he visits in and around Rome, both mainstream and off the beaten track, are an absolute delight to read! Informative, insightful, acutely observed and brilliantly reported. Don’t venture into Rome without him!

[Mark Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic and still evocative of Rome's constant charm

[Mike Peleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful journey around the Eternal city and surroundings, from the Roman Forums to Fontana di Trevi, from the Colosseum to the Vatican Gardens, from the Vestal Virgins Temple to Christian Catacombs. In a sense the book is double travel in time--you will get to the Rome of 50s, where the author walks around and look on the centuries of Roman history.
Perhaps, the book is a bit heavyweight on Catholic Church and Englishmen, which is understandable taking into account the author's personality.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book by Morton I have read; the first was "In Search of London". This was enjoyable, but not as much as the first book. To my taste, he spent too much time writing about the Vatican, the Pope and the Pope's summer residence. Although he doesn't state this expressly, Morton certainly leaves the impression that he is a Catholic, and shows an enormous reverence for the Pope. (This, by the way, is the Pope whom historians later accused of having acquiesced in Hitler's extermination of the Jews.)

I've been to Rome a couple of times, but can't say I have a great deal of familiarity with it. However, my sense is that this book could easily have focused less on the Church and more on some of the other historical and artistic points of interest in Rome.

Nevertheless, it was still a fascinating book. I read somewhere that Morton was the best travel writer of his time, and I have no doubt that this is true.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of a better travel writer -- his writing is so steeped in the history of Rome and a desire to share it with the reader, but it never seemed boring or overdone to me, and he balances the professorial tone with subtle humor and the ability to capture the everyday details of life in Rome. I especially liked his observations on the impact Christianity had on ancient Rome. All in all, it made me want to go back to Italy.

[Khalekan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful companion on my recent trip to Rome.

Morton brings the city to life as he tells the stories of those who made Rome from its Etruscan beginnings through the Rome of the erepublic and the imperial age of the Caesars through the Renaissance to the uniting of Italy under Graibald and how Mussolini marched on Rome to seize power in more recent times.

And of course, the backdrop is the rise, fall and rise again of the Papacy and the Catholic Church.

[Stacy Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific book and even if you have never been to Rome you would find great enjoyment in the reading. Morton is a travel writer and these are a collection from 1950's Rome. The nice thing about eternal cities is that most things stay the same and I was delighted to see the Rome I know as well. Krisette, I would highly recommend this for anyone going on a trip to Rome.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the best guidebook I've ever read. It was very informative, interesting, and led me to some great places. There were parts which felt a bit name-droppy and some that were just too detailed but for the most part I'm really glad I read most of this book while I was in Rome, so I could take advantage of his observations and experience.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

the only way walk the ancient streets of Rome is with this book in tow

[Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing portrait of Rome, with so many stories and histories.

[Will]

Travel--1950s Italy.

[Jane Niehaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this historic travel novel--made me appreciate Rome when I visited

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.V. Morton's works are classics. If you can find any of them, do read them. They give an historical context to our own travels today.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelised walk through a 1950s Rome, with Pius XII in the Chair and all the optimism of the post-war period. Some things never change, though, and this is one of the best 400-page reads I've met.