Ronchey, S. and T. Braccini. Il romanzo di Costantinopoli. Guida letteraria alla Roma d’Oriente. Turin: Einaudi, 2010.
Il romanzo di Costantinopoli is a vast collection (c.1000 pp.) and translation - in many cases for the first time in a modern language - of pieces on Constantinople and its Byzantine monuments, taken from the most authoritative editions. There are contributions from 150 poets, travellers, philosophers, explorers, scholars, pilgrims, adventurers from a variety of nationalities and epochs, from the 4th century to the present day. From Procopius to Le Corbusier, Paul the Silentiary to Osip Mandelstam, Psellos to Dos Passos, Anna Comnena to Flaubert, Ibn Battuta to Gide, Gilles to Loti, Grelot to Melville, Andersen to Cocteau, Chateaubriand to Fermor, De Amicis to Mark Twain, Byron to Yeats, Nerval to Pamuk, anecdotes and descriptions wind through the Rome of the Orient in ten itineraries, creating a topography that is also a journey through time and into the secrets of the historical, artistic, and cultural legacy of Byzantium. Each itinerary is preceded by an introduction to the monuments and sites, each updated according to the most recent topographical, archaeological, and art historical research, and is illustrated with a map of the route with precise directions to the sites within the labyrinth of old City. Accompanied by more than 150 illustrations, including drawings, engravings, historical photos, and maps, the volume also contains notes, updated bibliography, and a biographical supplement with profiles of all of the authors cited.
Keywords
- Constantinople
- Hippodrome/Atmeydanı
- Obelisk of Tutmosi III/Obelisk of Theodosius
- Serpent column
- Colossus/Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus
- Hagia Sophia/ Ayasofya
- Augustaion
- Equestrian statue of Justinian
- Toupha
- Great Palace of Constantinople
- Mouchroutas
- Kenourgion
- Magnaura/Great Hall
- Imperial triclinia
- Chrysotriklinos
- Triclinium of Justinian
- Triclinium of the Nineteen Couches
- Triclinium of the Pearl
- Church of the Lighthouse
- Chapel of the Lighthouse / Church of the Virgin of the Pharos
- New Church/Nea Ekklesia
- Chalke Column of the Goths
- Complex of St. George of the Mangana
- Hagiasma of the Transfiguration (St. Saviour)
- Leander’s Tower/Kız Kulesi
- Church of St. Irene/Hagia Irene
- Church of St. Mary Hodighitria
- Boukoleon Palace
- Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
- Sea walls
- Peribleptos Monastery
- Monastery of Stoudios
- Obelisk of Theodosius
- Column Arcadius
- Basilica Cistern
- Palace of Lausus
- Binbirderek Cistern/Cistern of the 1001 Pillars
- Forum of Constantine
- Burned Column/Column of Constantine
- Column of Marcian
- Valens Aqueduct
- Church of the Holy Apostles
- Imperial sarcophagi
- Column of the Maiden
- Monastery of Christ Pantokrator
- Golden Horn/Chrysokeras
- Galata
- Pera
- Church of St. Theodosia/Gül Camii
- Fener Quarter
- Patriarchate / Church of St. George
- Church of St. Mary of the Mongols / Panagia Mouchliotissa / Mog˘olların Azize Meryem Ana Kilisesi / Kanlı Kilise
- Pammakaristos Monastery
- Balat Quarter
- Chora Monastery
- Church of St. Saviour in Chora / Kariye Camii
- Blachernae palace complex
- Hagiasma di Balıklı
- Palace of the Porphyrogenitus/Tekfur Sarayı
- Land walls
- Gate of Kalagros/Egri Kapı
- Gate of Charisius/Edirne Kapı (Adrianople Gate)
- Gate of St. Romanus/Top Kapı
- Fifth Military Gate/Pempton
- Gate of Rhegion/Gate of Polyandrion / Mevlana Kapı
- Gate of the Spring/Silivri Kapı
- Xylokerkos Gate/Belgrat Kapı
- Golden Gate
- Castle of the Seven Towers/Yedikule
- Church of St. Mary of the Spring/Zoodochos Pege/Balıklı