Arnolfo's moment. Acts of an International Conference (Firenze, 26-27 maggio 2005)

Arnolfo di Cambio, from the Tuscan town of Colle val d'Elsa, was to become one of the most cosmopolitan artists of the Italian peninsula during the pivotal decades 1270-1310. His employment by the Angevin kings of Naples, the Papacy and its Roman entourage and by the Central Italian communes such as Perugia and Florence, calling upon his skills as an inventive and expeditious sculptor, affected all the visual arts and eventually led to his appointment to the influential role of head architect of the new cathedral of Florence. The artist's achievements exemplify the fertile interaction of classical and gothic influences that characterized the reflowering of Italian art, language and society in this dynamic moment. On the occasion of the Arnolfo di Cambio VIII centenary celebrations a group of scholars gathered at Villa I Tatti to share the challenge of interpreting his art, its patronage and its significance in their historical contexts, searching for new perspectives in an interdisciplinary program of studies. This volume presents the multifaceted results of their dialogue.