Examining the cultural history of Renaissance Naples with an emphasis on humanism, the author also evaluates Naples in the broader context of fifteenth-century Italy and Renaissance Europe in general. He addresses several prominent themes of Renaissance history: patron- client relationships, the development of a realistic, Machiavellian approach to matters of statecraft and diplomacy, and the influence of Neapolitan humanists on European culture in general. Originally published in 1987. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This volume presents in translation 100 previously unknown letters of Ippolita Maria Sforza (1445–1488), daughter of the Duke of Milan, who was sent at age twenty to marry the son of the infamously brutal King Ferrante of Naples. Sforza’s letters display the adroit diplomacy she used to strengthen the alliance between Milan and Naples, then the two most powerful states in Italy, amid such grave crises as her brother’s assassination in Milan and the Turkish invasion of Otranto. Still, Ippolita lived as a hostage at the Neapolitan court, subject not only to the threat of foreign invasion but also to her husband’s well-known sexual adventures and her father-in-law’s ruthlessness. Soon after Ippolita’s mysterious death in 1488, the fraught Naples-Milan alliance collapsed.

"An introduction to the development of the city of Naples from the end of the Angevin period in 1400 to 1600, with a collection of English-language sources on the history of the city covering its economic, literary, artistic, religious and cultural life "--

Travelers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries acclaimed Naples as the most glorious and dazzling capital of the West. Today's eternally sunny Naples rises majestically around the bay that offers some of the most memorable views of the Mediterranean. An authoritative, exhaustively researched guide to one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations, this guidebook enables travelers to make the most of their trip to Naples. The 24 itineraries detailed in this guide take travelers on excursions from the historic sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii to the Greek temples of Paestum, from the islands of Ischia and Capri to the extraordinary "Versailles" of Italy, the Reggia of Caserta. Each itinerary is packed with archeological sites, museums, examples of the region's signature Baroque architecture, and in-depth descriptions of cultural attractions. Meticulously drawn road maps help travelers plan their routes. A chapter on tourist information provides essential information on restaurants, shopping, accommodations, and more. This edition contains 20 percent new material including an all-new introduction geared toward American travelers.

"An introduction to the development of the city of Naples from the end of the Angevin period in 1400 to 1600, with a collection of English-language sources on the history of the city covering its economic, literary, artistic, religious and cultural life "--

This book tells the story of the Del Riccio family in Florence in the early modern period, investigating the cultural mediations fostered by the family between Florence, Rome, and Naples, as well as shedding light on the intellectual and social exchanges between different regions of Italy and on the creation of foreign nations within the main Italian cities. These social and cultural dimensions are further explored through the study of the obsessive persistence of the family’s relationship with Michelangelo Buonarroti, exhibited both publicly, in the Florentine and Neapolitan family chapels, and privately in their homes. The main achievement of this study is to move the focus from the ruling power, the Medici family and the immediate members of their court, to a Florentine middle-class family and its social mobility: this shift from the conventional narrative to a distributed microhistory is fundamental to better assess the use of images and artworks in early modern Florence and abroad. The aesthetic and stylistic choices in the use of art and art display made by the Del Riccio reveal a deep awareness of the substantial differences in taste and meaning between different cities of the Italian peninsula. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, visual culture, and Renaissance studies.