Roma beata

In Short

This vivid set of letters records six years in the life of an American author and her painter husband as they establish a home in Rome and wander through the surrounding regions. Settling into an apartment high above St. Peter’s Square, they navigate domestic eccentricities, forge deep friendships with locals, and observe great civic pageants. From the mountain villages of the Abruzzi to the coastal charm of Ischia, the narrative weaves together art, regional folklore, domestic triumphs, and political upheaval, offering a warm, timeless portrait of a vanished Italian world.

The Story

The narrative begins with an search for shelter in the winter of 1894. Arriving in Rome, the author and her husband select a sunlit apartment in the Piazza di Spagna, only to discover that without the sun, the rooms turn bitterly cold. Confronted by a formidable landlady who insists fires are bad for the health, the author quickly realizes that living in Rome requires abandoning American habits. She learns to embrace local customs, relying on the neighborhood baker for financial trust as well as sweet bread, while watching her maids bleach laundry in vast stone fountains using wood-ashes and cold water, just as Romans have done for centuries.

As the years unfold, life centers around their grand studio and roof garden in the Palazzo Rusticucci, directly overlooking the heart of the Catholic world. From their terrace, they witness the grand rhythms of the Eternal City: sixty thousand people crowding into St. Peter's for papal anniversaries, solemn religious processions showering tissue-paper petals over radical bakers, and the shared routines of neighbors. Their residence becomes a gathering place for visiting artists, eccentrics, and devoted local servants who bring the city’s domestic drama into sharp relief.

The couple's journey is not confined to Rome. Summer escapes take them to the Bavarian hills for health cures, across the volcanic ridges of Ischia, and deep into the rugged Abruzzi mountains. In isolated villages like Scanno and Roccaraso, they encounter a traditional way of life threatened by modernization. Old shepherds recount how new laws have stripped them of ancient grazing rights, while locals navigate a world rich in folklore, fear of the evil eye, and improvised, communal solutions to poverty.

Throughout these travels, art and history remain constant companions. The painter husband captures local figures, architectural ruins, and light-filled landscapes, while the author gathers the anecdotes of colorfully impoverished painters, cunning art collectors, and spirited guides. Yet history eventually crashes through their quiet world. The turn of the century brings the assassination of King Humbert, casting a sudden shadow of grief and political fury across the country. Shortly thereafter, as their lease draws to a close, the couple packs up their lush terrace garden, bids farewell to their long-held pets, and takes one last midnight look at the illuminated dome of St. Peter's before leaving their beloved city behind.

How It Unfolds

Settling into the Eternal City The author and her husband arrive in Rome, rent a sunny apartment, and quickly learn to adapt to the stubborn landladies, traditional laundry methods, and vibrant street vendors of their new neighborhood.

Summer retreats and foreign cures Seeking relief from the scorching Roman summer, the couple travels north to Bavaria to try the famous water cures of Pfarrer Kneipp while observing the distinct manners of Catholic Europe.

Pageantry at St. Peter's Back in Rome, the author joins vast, good-natured crowds gathering at the Vatican to witness papal jubilees and diplomatic balls, marveling at the seamless coordination between royal and Papal authorities.

Journeys into the wild Abruzzi Escaping deep into the central mountains, the travelers meet aged shepherds mourning the loss of ancient grazing rights and hear eerie tales of local superstitions, evil eyes, and secret nighttime errands.

Bohemian antics and Roman eccentrics The narrative turns to the colorful world of Roman artists, detailing the humorous escapades of destitute painters spending their sudden fortunes on top hats and fleet-footed cab processions.

Life atop the Palazzo Rusticucci Moving into a grand palace studio opposite the Vatican, the author transforms her high roof terrace into a flourishing garden, observing local religious processions and quiet monastery life from above.

The shadow of tragedy and farewell The sudden assassination of King Humbert plunges the nation into grief, prompting quiet reflection before the author packs up her roof garden and bids a final, affectionate adieu to Rome.

The People

• Maud Howe Elliott (The Author): Observant, adaptable, and endlessly curious, she wants to understand authentic Italian life. She abandons her American domestic expectations to embrace local ways, becoming a fond chronicler of Roman culture.
• J. (John Elliott): Her husband, a dedicated painter who needs expansive studio space to work on monumental canvases. He navigates local art markets, immortalizes local models, and patiently transforms bare stone terraces into lush, private sanctuaries.
• Sor' Giacomo: An aged shepherd in the Abruzzi, over six feet tall and fiercely proud. He grieves the loss of ancestral grazing rights that once allowed thousands of sheep to winter in Apulia, symbolizing a disappearing traditional world.
• Galli: A hopelessly impoverished Roman painter who retains his swagger despite wearing frayed trousers and hole-ridden boots. When he unexpectedly sells a painting, he instantly squanders the money on a luxury top hat and a line of hired cabs.
• Nena: A gruff, deeply devoted older servant who manages domestic tasks with fiery passion, fiercely mourning lost household pets while keeping a sharp eye on local trade and trash.
• Patsy: An enthusiastic young scholar and art lover who wanders the countryside, fluent in ancient history and always ready to lecture on archæological finds over outdoor meals.

In Its Own Voice

“Rome, which we reached Thursday, is very much changed since I last saw it; imagine the Fountain of Trevi, all the principal streets, even many of the smaller ones, gleaming with electric lights!” An early impression of the Eternal City balancing ancient stone with modern innovation.

“I can always recognize the Americani, Signora mia... By the expression of the countenance... nervous, sensitive, masterful,--the Look Dominant!” A native mountain guide explaining how she instantly identifies foreign travelers.

“The terrace, which J. made as fragrant and lovely for me as the hanging gardens of Babylon, is again as bare as my hand.” Reflecting on the dismantling of their rooftop home prior to their final departure.

What It's Really About

Beneath its charming travel anecdotes, the book explores the friction between ancient tradition and modern progress. As electric lights illuminate Roman monuments and new railways carve through rustic mountain passes, an older, slower way of life is quietly pushed aside. The narrative contrasts the sweeping political shifts of unified Italy—royal pageantry, papal tensions, and anarchic violence—with the steady, quiet endurance of the working class. Ultimately, it argues that true understanding of a country comes not through detached sightseeing, but through daily domestic immersion, patience with unfamiliar ways, and an open heart toward the ordinary people who keep a city's soul alive.

Why Read It Today

This travel memoir appeals to anyone who has ever fallen in love with Italy, as well as readers who cherish sensory historical writing. Rather than offering a rigid tour of museum galleries, the author delivers an intimate, unvarnished look at daily life during a golden age of travel. Readers who enjoy modern expatriate memoirs will find immediate kinship in her humorous struggles with drafty rooms, stubborn landladies, and foreign markets.

The prose moves with a swift, conversational rhythm, filled with sparkling dialogue and vivid descriptions of sunlight, local food, and street cries. While modern readers may occasionally encounter outdated period assumptions regarding foreign customs or social classes, the text remains grounded in genuine warmth, humor, and respect for its subjects. What remains long after reading is the lingering scent of rooftop jasmine, the grand echo of St. Peter's bells, and the timeless magic of making a home in a storied foreign land.