Basilica

The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's

By: R.A. Scotti

Narrated by: Josephine Bailey

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

It was the splendor and the scandal of the age. In 1506, the ferociously ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II tore down the most sacred shrine in Europe, the millennium-old St. Peter's Basilica built by the Emperor Constantine over the apostle's grave, to build a better basilica.

Construction of the new St. Peter's spanned two centuries, embroiled 27 popes, and consumed the genius of the greatest artists of the age: Michaelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and Bernini. The cost of building the new cathedral was costly in more than just monetary terms; the new basilica provoked the Protestant Reformation, dividing the Christian world for all time.

In this swift, colorful narrative, R.A. Scotti brings to life the artists and the popes, the politics and the passions behind this audacious enterprise. Scotti turns sacred architecture into a spellbinding human epic of enormous daring, petty jealousy, and staggering genius.

©2006 R.A. Scotti (P)2006 Tantor Media Inc

Critic reviews

"A riveting portrtait of the papacy, complete with its triumphs, intrigue, and excesses." (Kirkus)

Amazing

This book was much more engaging than I’d expected. The drama and characters involved in building St. Peter’s are brought to life and the architectural and engineering details are fascinating. I’m not an architect or an engineer, but I was spellbound.

Fabulous.

This book could be used as the basis for an entire education. Unlike a lot of books, it is worth reading again.

Fascinating and Cinematic

This book is full of vivid detail about the Popes and artists who created St. Peter's Basilica. The personalities of Michelangelo and Julius II loom large in their clashes. The mismanagement of funds leading to the sack of Rome in 1527 is particularly devastating, and ripping stuff! I would love to see the book made into a miniseries. Josephine Bailey's lilting English accents brings it all to life. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Art History or in Rome.

Fantastic read

Where does Basilica rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was at the top because I spend quite a bit of time in Rome.

Any additional comments?

If you plan to go to Rome and spend any time at St. Peter's, this book is a must read. Before you go, take the time.

Boring

So boring. Could barely get through it. The narrator put me to sleep. The content was ok and the presentation was dry.

Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: St. Peter'

An excellent story which is incredibly interesting; however, it's a shame that the narrator butchers the Italian vocabulary. You would think that with all the Italian words in this book, one would have tried to find a narrator who can pronounce basic Italian. It's actually painful and extremely disruptive to hear names and places so badly pronounced.

Entertaining and informative

I’ve listened to other audio books related to construction of major works, like the Duomo in Florence, and they can tend to be dry and very scholastic. The author does an excellent job of giving the listener enough of the architectural and engineering information without overwhelming someone who doesn’t know anything about those areas. Excellent book, very beautifully written.

Spell binding

I was so sorry to have it end. Truly amazing. I ran for my pictures of St. Peter's to check out the details.

Historical subject but novelized style

A fascinating subject, relatively well researched but written in a "You were there" style. ('Michelangelo was out of breath as he wiped his brow with his calloused hands and thought...." etc. More annoying was the uneducated pronunciation from the British reader who has a pleasant enough speaking voice but displays shocking ignorance of the classical field. These are not accepted English vs. American pronunciations, mind you. "Tacky-tiss' instead of Tacitus? There are many more of this sort, and I'm no snob. But she should have been coached properly and the recording edited. Otherwise, the book is worth a listen.

Good story, terrible narrator

What did you like best about Basilica? What did you like least?

Scotti has crafted a simple, engaging narrative of the long and complicated history behind new St. Peter's. As an art historian, I recognize that Scotti's book omits or glosses over various details, but for a popular reader, this is a richly textured story that brings history to life.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator is simply awful. Her mispronunciation of countless words -- mostly Italian, but also English-- is grating and distracting. Given the prominence of Italian names and terms in the story, one would think that the narrator and/or producer could have done the most basic of research to avoid this unnecessary and embarrassing pattern of error. Among many other errors, "Medici" and "fabbrica" appeared nearly every minute.