Elizabeth Rodini | A Walk through the Layered Lives of Rome

Elizabeth Rodini discusses her new book, On the Street of the Hidden Shops (Chicago, 2026), which takes a concentrated, stratigraphic approach to exploring the ancient capital. Layering finely observed details and surprising anecdotes among grander historical narratives, Rodini captures the fullness of urban life and probes the boundaries between fact and fiction. An art historian and writer based in New York, Rodini began this study while at the American Academy in Rome, where she served as Arts Director and interim Director.