About this programme

3/3. Simon Sebag Montefiore charts Rome's rise from the abandonment and neglect of the 14th century into the everlasting seat of the Papacy recognised today. His story begins with the debauchery and decadence of the Renaissance, and takes viewers through the Catholic Reformation and on to the arrival of fascism and the creation of the Vatican State. He steps inside sensational palaces and churches, and talks about some of the world's most beloved art as he brings his exploration of Rome to a close. Last in the series.