At over 2,500 years old, Rome is more than the capital of Italy. It is the center of artistic creativity and a cultural complex that arguably outstrips any other location on earth. Ancient monuments like the Colosseum continue to capture our attention while institutions like the Vatican Museums spur intellectual interest.

The heartbeat of Rome is found in every traveler’s soul. The rushing crowds on the main avenues can be left behind by ducking down a side street. After a block or two, enter one of the small neighborhood streets where children play ball and the splash of fountains echoes against the buildings.

From Aventine Hill to St. Peter’s Basilica, from the banks of the Tiber to the Aniene, Rome is a kaleidoscopic journey through time. Its history encompasses the Roman Empire, founded on the Seven Hills, and the center of the Catholic Church. Spectacular vacations and multiple trips are on the minds of every traveler who wants to explore the best of Europe. Visitors to Italy can expand their knowledge base with an artist’s view of the ancient city of Rome.

The color photos in Ruins of Rome I & II were taken at Palazzo Senatorio, Saint Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City, Via della Conciliazione, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, San Paolo fuori le mura, Piazza del Popolo, various obelisks, and other sites. Step into this whirling place and become absorbed by its vibrant heart.

The softcover edition uses a single-page layout for an affordable price point. The hardcover edition utilizes a beautiful two-page spread with the photo on the righthand page and the title on the left. Either version makes a great gift.

In the Travel Photo Art series, traditional tourism panoramas mix with arthouse aesthetics. These slim, intense productions are your passport to new perspectives on famous places. Peer around corners and discover a unique way to interact with monuments and memorials you thought you knew.

This popular series includes titles that mix text with the pictures. Books like Notre Dame Cathedral: Our Lady of Paris, featuring photos taken months before the 2019 fire, become keepsakes associated with a specific site. Titles like Lidice Lives and Terezin and Theresienstadt are deeply meaningful for families touched by the Holocaust.

Laine Cunningham, a three-time recipient of The Hackney Award, writes fiction that takes readers around the world. Her debut novel, The Family Made of Dust, is set in the Australian Outback, while Reparation is a novel of the American Great Plains. She is the editor of Sunspot Literary Journal.