The Path to Rome

The Path to Rome is a 1902 travelogue by the French-English author and historian Hilaire Belloc. Belloc recounts his pilgrimage from Toul in northeastern France to Rome after encountering an extraordinary statue of Saint Mary in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France, where he was born. The work contains his account of events in short vignettes, his thoughts on his travels, and asides about the history and geography of places he visits. Belloc also illustrates landmarks, noteworthy geographical features, and explanatory maps to frame his journey and explain his decisions to the audience. It also contains songs for which Belloc provides sheet music and lyrics.