Originally published on September 11, 2023 (Episode 333)
Introduction
On July 20, 817, Pope Paschal I began rebuilding the Church of Santa Prassede. To honor the martyrs Prassede and Pudenziana, he transferred 2,300 bodies from the catacombs into the new structure, their remains encased within glittering mosaics and illuminated by hundreds of candles. The church’s apse depicts Paschal himself standing alongside saints Peter and Paul—a powerful declaration of papal authority.
This moment, as Jessica Wärnberg shows in her new book City of Echoes: A New History of Rome, Its Popes, and Its People (Pegasus, 2023), was part of a centuries-long process by which Rome’s identity became bound up with the papacy. When Constantine shifted the imperial capital to Constantinople, the papacy emerged as the city’s anchor and symbol. In time, the pope became a reference point not only for Romans but also for Christians across Western Europe.
Wärnberg traces this story from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century, when the Papal States were dismantled by military force, and even into the modern era, when the papacy still finds moments to relativize secular power in Rome. Our conversation explores the papacy as both a religious office and a civic institution, shaping the lives of Rome’s inhabitants and the identity of the city itself.
About the Guest
Jessica Wärnberg is a historian of religious and political culture in Europe. She has written extensively about popes, princes, inquisitors, and Jesuits. City of Echoes is her latest book.
For Further Investigation
Jessica Wärnberg, City of Echoes: A New History of Rome, Its Popes, and Its People (Pegasus, 2023)
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💬 Listen & Discuss
How did the papacy manage to transform itself from Rome’s local bishopric into the defining symbol of Western Christianity? Was this primarily an act of faith, politics, or cultural adaptation—or all of the above? Share your reflections in the comments—and pass this episode along to someone interested in the history of Rome, religion, and power.
