The Books

My first book Sacred Places, Rediscovering the Churches of Rome, is a large coffee table book about sixty of my favorite churches in Rome. I got the idea for this book during a visit with two of my sons to Rome during the year of 2000. We visited San Lorenzo fuori le mura, my second visit there, and I noticed that several of the mosaic tesserae in the frieze on the portico had fallen off since my last visit. About this time I learned that most churches in Rome are owned by the state (not the Vatican owned churches like Saint Peter and Paul). I also came to see that most Italians don’t go to mass, and so many of the churches are fairly deserted. I also became worried about the growing foreign presence. I knew all too well about the fate of Hagia Sophia and other great churches in the East. And so I decided to photograph all the churches to preserve them for posterity. The book kept growing. As I learned so much from the multitude of texts I acquired, and from my now almost twice a year visits, I added descriptive material to the photographs, and so I ended up with as much text as photo, and the book became more than 800 pages. I think you will enjoy the book. If you have never been it will take you on a journey through each of these stunning churches, learning who built them and why, the principal artwork, the faith imbedded throughout. Some are ancient, some medieval, some Renaissance, and many baroque.

After the large book, there was a demand for a smaller condensed guidebook version, and thus my second book, Sacred Places…An Epic Journey through Sixty Churches in Eleven Walks, the Complete Guide.

In my readings I came to know the thirteenth century Renaissance pioneer Niccola Pisano and the series of pulpits he and his son made across Tuscany and Umbria. This led my wife and I to pilgrimage to them, and my third book The Holy Pulpits of Tuscany.

Next came a desire to point out what I felt were the 200 most important sites that visitors must see on their visit. This is the small spiral guide Due Cento Luoghi.

In my visits to Rome I also came to greatly admire the creative and chimeric baroque architecture of Francesco Borromini. I spent several years reading about this man and his works, and photographing his buildings. He wrote one work describing his work and intentions at the Oratory and Casa dei Filippini. I decided to write a simulated Borromini led tour through the rest of his works, Francesco Borromini, the Complete Guide.

Next came the Fountains of Rome, a photographic tour through all of Rome’s magnificent fountains, a collection unparalleled anywhere in the world, with hopefully helpful descriptions.

I have now finished the manuscript for my last book, Greg Pulles’ Illustrated Walks in Rome, organized by the twenty four Rioni of the city. Unfortunately it is currently stalled because it is too long for a single book. I am exploring splitting it into three volumes! Plus an app.

Finally I have created small greeting cards with some of my photography. These can be used for notes, and I expect to expand the offerings. Currently there are twelve.