After thirty years of research, Volker Reinhardt presents his long-awaited history of Rome and the papacy. In his comprehensive and balanced study, the renowned historian unapologetically relates how Roman bishops imposed their authority over all the other bishops already in antiquity, and how they won over medieval kings and emperors. The author critically looks at the ways in which the popes expanded their sphere of influence as secular rulers, having mainly the enrichment of their families in mind. Countless works of art testify to their all-encompassing claim to power. Most of these were commissioned during the Renaissance and Baroque epochs, when the Vatican's power was already in decline. Even in the 20th century, the papacy has resisted modernity, which is why it is often considered a reactionary institution. As this brilliant study shows, however, the call for reform is as old as the papacy itself.