The World of Renaissance Italy: A Daily Life Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

The World of Renaissance Italy: A Daily Life Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

The World of Renaissance Italy: A Daily Life Encyclopedia engages all of the Italian peninsula from the Black Death (1347–1352) to 1600. Unlike other encyclopedic works about the Renaissance era, this book deals exclusively with Italy, revealing the ways common Italian people lived and experienced the events and technological developments that marked the Renaissance era. The coverage specifically spotlights marginal or traditionally marginalized groups, including women, homosexuals, Jews, the elderly, and foreign communities in Italian cities. The entries in this two-volume set are organized into 10 sections of 25 alphabetically listed entries each. Among the broad sections are art, fashion, family and gender, food and drink, housing and community, politics, recreation and social customs, and war. The "See Also" sources for each article are listed by section for easy reference, a feature that students and researchers will greatly appreciate. The extensive collection of contemporary documents include selections from a diary, letters, a travel journal, a merchant's inventory, Inquisition testimony, a metallurgical handbook, and text by an artist that describes what the author feels constitutes great work. Each of the primary source documents accompanies a specific article and provides an added dimension and degree of insight to the material. "These volumes are so comprehensive that if an area seems absent from the index, thorough searching will likely uncover it. This accessible compilation of material offers incredible riches for advanced high school students, nonspecialist undergraduates, and general readers." -- " Library Journal, Starred Review " "This unique reference work serves it purpose to introduce its themes to beginning students and general readers, as well as provide a starting point for research by undergraduates majoring in Italian history, fine arts, literature, and cultural studies. Summing Up: Recommended. High school through undergraduate students; general readers." -- " Choice " "With more than 700 pages of encyclopedia entries, as opposed to scholarly articles, this set is both comprehensive and accessible to readers. This series is recommended for public and academic libraries with patrons interested in culture and/or history." -- " Booklist " Joseph P. Byrne , PhD, is professor of honors humanities at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.