Rome was one of the major pilgrim destinations in the middle ages. The belief that certain objects and places were a focus of holiness where pilgrims could come closer to God had a long history in Christian tradition; in the case of Rome, the tradition developed around two of the city's most important martyrs, Christ's apostles Peter and Paul. So strong were the city's associations with these apostles that pilgrimage to Rome was often referred to as pilgrimage 'to the threshold of the apostles'. Debra Birch conveys a vivid picture of the world of the medieval pilgrim to Rome -- the Romipetae, or 'Rome-seekers' -- coveringall aspects of their journey, and their life in the city itself. Debra Birch is assistant secretary at the Institute of Historical Research.