Piazza San Marco by Iain Fenlon
The Piazza San Marco in Venice is the most famous and instantly recognisable townscape in the world, visited by literally millions every year. This highly original book, an ideal companion to a visit, is the first to consider the square as a coherent whole, a dynamic open space organically connected to the buildings which frame it. It shows how much understanding is lost if this ensemble is divided (as histories and guide books conventionally do), into a series of individual structures (the Ducal Palace, the Basilica of St Mark, the Campanile etc.), each 'marvellous' in its own right but functionally separate. 'A beautifully produced, generously documented and lavishly illustrated volume, which is certain to become a basic reference for students of the city.' Theodore K. Rabb Times Literary Supplement
Fenlon's book not only brilliantly recalls the square's past history as a grand stage for "carefully choreographed symbolic state rituals" such as the elaborate coronation of a doge, but also brings to life the more mundane activities - from baking bread to selling sex - that the Piazza witnessedFenlon has much that is insightful to say about individual buildings, from the Basilica and the Doge's Palace to Jacopo Sansovino's Library and the Campanile, which is perhaps the most recognisable symbol of Venice worldwide, but the strength of his book lies in its emphasis on the importance of this iconic space as a whole to the city's history. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *
Iain Fenlon is Professor of Historical Musicology in the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of King's College. Most of his writing has been concerned with the social and cultural history of music in Renaissance Italy. His most recent book , Piazza San Marco, appeared in 2009.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781861978707 |
| ISBN 10 | 1861978707 |
| Title | Piazza San Marco |
| Author | Iain Fenlon |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Profile Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2009-05-21 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |