The Development of Cities in Northern and Central Italy During the Renaissance

Originally published in 2019, this book provides a comprehensive account of a formative historical period, uniquely describing Renaissance architecture as the physical manifestation of political and economic change. The book illustrates how shifts in architectural style and design were paralleled with Northern and Central Italy’s external and internal conflicts, the evolution of urban and regional government, and economic and demographic growth. Covering the full extent of the Renaissance period, Balchin charts the era’s medieval roots and its transformation into Mannerist and Baroque tendencies. He demonstrates how developments in architecture and planning were inextricably linked to political and economic power, and how these relationships shifted from city to city over time.

1. Introduction Part 1: The Later Middle Ages: The Revival of Cities 2. The Development of Urban Government and Public Patronage in the Later Middle Ages 3. Public Patronage and Urban Development 4. Economic Development in the Later Middle Ages 5. Economic Growth and the Private Development of the Built Environment Part 2: The 15th Century: The Early Renaissance 6. Oligarchic and Signorial Government in the 15th Century 7. Public Development and the Re-emergence of Classical Architecture and Town Planning 8. Population Trends and Economic Equilibrium in the 15th Century 9.Private Patronage and the Re-emergence of Classical Architecture in the 15th Century Part 3: The 16th Century: The High Renaissance and Mannerism 10. The Ascendancy of Principalities in 16th-Century Italy 11. Public Patronage, Architecture and Town Planning From Classicism to Mannerism 12. Economic Growth and Urban Development in the 16th Century 13. Private Patronage and Architecture: Affluence and Conspicuous Consumption Part 4: The 17th and Early 18th Centuries: The Age of the Baroque 14. The Development of Government in Italy in the Early 17th Century and Its Effects in the Built Environment 15. Public Patronage: The Emergence of Baroque Architecture and Town Planning 16. Economic Stagnation and Urban Development in the 17th Century 17. Private Patronage and Baroque Architecture.

Paul N. Balchin was formerly Reader in Urban Economics, University of Greenwich, UK.