Unlocking the door to the hidden treasures of the imperial capital's multifaceted cultural history, "Key to Rome" is a tour book unlike any other. Author Frederick Vreeland, former U.S. senior diplomat in Rome, and his artist wife, Vanessa, guide visitors and armchair travellers through layers of time - from the ruins of antiquity to Renaissance palaces to the trendiest new shops and restaurants - exploring major sites and revealing insider secrets. Written in a brisk, anecdotal style, this gorgeously illustrated handbook is packed with photographs, historical drawings, sidebars, foldout maps, and floor plans and has been completely updated from its original edition, which had limited distribution outside of Italy. Organized into four sections - Ancient, Christian, Renaissance and Baroque, and Shopping and the Grand Tour - the guidebook's pithy site descriptions are framed by historical timelines and punctuated by special "must-see" highlights. A comprehensive reference section at the back details day trips of interest, a guide to Italian food, the newest in specialty shops and boutiques, "Rome by Night" and "Rome for Kids," as well as transportation facts, hotel and restaurant suggestions, and much more. Gore Vidal has called "Key to Rome" - "easily the handsomest and most useful guide to the city that likes to call itself Eternal.