More than sixty years ago the Italian writer and painter, Carlo Levi, wrote a series of essays about Rome that were published posthumously. These short essays, published in 2005 under the title Fleeting Rome, must rank among his best works, perhaps surpassing even his famous Christ Stopped at Eboli.

The essays in Fleeting Rome focus on Romans’ unique culture traits. Of course, it would be difficult in a country known for its regionalism and multiplicity of dialects, especially in the 1950s, to sustain an argument that Rome and its inhabitants are somehow unique in Italy.