A fascinating story of the impact of the rediscovery of antique objects, long-forgotten and often physically buried, on the consciousness and art of 15th- and 16th-century Rome. Barkan brings to life the inspired attempts to bridge the huge gap between ancient and Renaissance Rome, a rebirth which not only transformed art but also poetry and history. Stories of the rediscovery of statues such as the Lacoon and the Torso Belvedere is accompanied by extracts of Roman descriptions of statues and art as well as Renaissance accounts of uncovering them and their attempts to understand them. Finally, Barkan examines the influence of sculptures on specific Renaissance artists and works, notably Bandinelli.