Rome's Original Tituli: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Eternal City's Ancient House Churches

By Rita Mantone

No grand places of worship existed in the early church. There was no St. Peter or St. Mary Major. There existed, however, the generosity of wealthy faithful that offered their large homes for holy Mass, for the teaching of the neophytes (converts), and for other liturgical rites. Ancient history tells us that even the election of popes ensued in these early houses of worship! In ancient times, Romans used tituli (slabs of inscribed stone) to identify their buildings. The slab of stone outside the home of Santa Cecelia read Titulus Ceciliae. Any new convert to the faith could find their way to Cecelia's home and participate in the Breaking of Bread. Under normal circumstances these tituli posed no threat, except during times of persecution, which the early church suffered on a regular basis. Depending on the emperor in charge at the time, Roman soldiers sought out these homes with a vengeance. Many of these homeowners paid with their lives, often suffering the cruelest agonies for opening their doors to the faithful.Using high definition imagery, Rome's Original Tituli guides the pilgrim on their own adventure of Rome's ancient house churches and the basilicas that rise above them. If you have only a short stay in Rome, pick out a district or two, and make a pilgrimage. You will love finding yourself in neighborhoods not on the average tourist track and discovering your own favorite place to grab a slice of pizza, a gelato, or an espresso. Rome's Original Tituli is not just for those wanting to make a unique pilgrimage to Rome. Anyone interested in ancient Rome and Roman architecture will find this book helpful, as well as: art and history buffs, students living abroad, and those interested in ancient Catholicism. This guidebook would also make a great gift for those who wish they could travel to Rome, but can't afford it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 069252830X
• ISBN13: 9780692528303
• Release Date: August 2016
• Publisher: Click-it-Write Books
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"