Dazzling mosaic pictures made of glittering shards of light-reflecting colored glass embellish Rome’s oldest churches and tell an enduring story of beauty, faith, and artistry across a thousand years. This book brings these little-known masterpieces to life while exploring their meaning, historical context, and spiritual power.

Through brilliant full-color photographs with lavish details, Wendy A. Stein presents twelve ensembles of mosaic preserved in nine churches. The subjects reveal their glory as their imagery is decoded, telling the story of an ideal Rome whose power was derived from both its imperial past and its Christian legacy. Together, the mosaics embody the interpretation of light as an expression of the divine. With a detailed map to easily locate the churches, this volume is a perfect travel companion.