Rome in the Middle Ages: Not So Dark After All!

Ciao, it’s me again, Roma! Today, I’m giving you a little history lesson while you wait for your coffee, your train, or your Airbnb host…

You know me for my togas, emperors, and ancient columns, but let me tell you about another era: my slightly chaotic teenage years—otherwise known as the Middle Ages. Forget shining knights in armor and elegant ladies with braided hair—around here, things were a bit more… disorganized.

1. When I Was (Almost) a Ghost Town

After the fall of my beloved Empire, I lost a bit of my splendor. My population shrank from over a million to… just 30,000 people. Let’s just say my forums weren’t quite as lively. People literally lived in my ruins, using my stones to build their houses. And the Colosseum? A free quarry. Convenient.

2. Popes: The New Emperors

The all-powerful Vatican? Not yet. Back then, popes spent more time running away than ruling. When things got too tense, they fled to Avignon, leaving me to fend for myself. The result? Feuding noble families, unsafe streets, and an atmosphere straight out of a medieval thriller, where every neighborhood had its own warlord.

But when the popes were around, they acted like emperors—rebuilding churches, making laws, and even waging a few small wars. The great Roman families, like the Colonna and the Orsini, fought each other from their fortified towers. Think of it as a medieval version of Game of Thrones, but with more religious processions.

3. A… Wild Carnival

Today, my Carnival is festive and colorful. But back then, it was… different. The lineup included horse races along Via del Corso (sometimes with bulls or pigs for extra fun), brawls, heavy drinking, and, to top it all off, a good old-fashioned public execution. Quite the event.

4. Recycling… Ruins

Those magnificent ancient temples? Perfect for building something else! Why carve new stones when you can just dismantle a Roman monument? My temples and theaters were used to construct churches, palaces, and private homes. The Pantheon almost met the same fate, but luckily, it was saved by becoming a church. Who do we thank? The popes, of course.

5. The Invention of the Real Estate Ambush

A juicy little anecdote? In the heart of the Middle Ages, some innkeepers lured wealthy travelers into their fine rooms… only to kill them and steal their gold. One of the most infamous gangs was the Cenci family. In fact, the tragic story of Beatrice Cenci, executed for killing her abusive father, still haunts my streets today…

So no, the Middle Ages weren’t exactly dolce vita, but I survived! And if you look closely, you can still find traces of that era in my churches, my cobbled streets, and even my legends.

Next time you wander through my streets, keep your eyes open… Who knows what medieval secret you might uncover?