The New Palaces of Medieval Venice [Hardcover]

Juergen Schulz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0271023511 | ISBN-13: 978-0271023519 | Publication Date: December 30, 2004

The palaces of Venice have long excited the wonder of visitors. Ornate and grand, the buildings seem to float on the water of the city's canals like the sea castles in a mariner s dream. But Juergen Schulz demonstrates that the origins of these residences lay on terra firma, in a widely disseminated building type that, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, was adapted to the special circumstances of an Adriatic lagoon and the needs of the merchants turning this environment into a center of trade. An internationally recognized expert on Venetian art, architecture, and cartography, Schulz examines the city's medieval palaces with scholarship of unprecedented breadth and insight. Based in both archival research and first-hand knowledge of Venice, his book reconstructs the original appearance of the city's oldest surviving residences, such as that of the Corner and Pesaro families, and traces the many later modifications made to these buildings. Further, Schulz's book breaks new ground by presenting a systematic discussion of the use of sculpture in Venice's early palaces, famed for their 'exhibitionistic' scale and ornament. Illustrated with numerous photographs and plans, The New Palaces of Medieval Venice provides a comprehensive account of the ways in which a group of buildings came to embody the lives of Venice's leading mercantile families. Schulz's discussion of the Venetian palaces' impact on later architecture further enhances the significance of this handsome publication.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A splendid accomplishment, overwhelming in its mastery of sources and scholarship, that makes its arguments with nerve and verve, and, unlike most scholarship, leaves the reader with a poignant sense of the effects of time on historical artifacts and persons. --Stanley Chojnacki, University of North Carolina

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of this book. Any summary can only skim the surface of the depth of observation and fullness of information contained within its pages. Schulz's rich career of scholarship on the history and art of Venice has culminated in a punctilious and inspired production. It is a powerful demonstration of what happens when the grunt work of archival research and a vivid response to the visual merges with a deeply felt understanding of historical developments. Venice will never look the same. --Debra Pincus, News on the Rialto

However, as a means of stimulating debate and questioning long-held assumptions, these are important issues to raise, and in so doing, Schulz has done us a great service in this fine work. I only need to add that it is beautifully produced, has excellent illustrations, and is superbly edited. --Richard J. Goy, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

About the Author

Juergen Schulz is Andrea V. Rosenthal Professor of Art History and Architecture, Emeritus, Brown University and the author of numerous books and articles on Venetian art, architecture, and cartography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (December 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271023511
• ISBN-13: 978-0271023519
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,413,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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