Il libro d’ore in italia tra confraternite e corti (1275-1349): Lettori, artisti, immagini

The book of hours, genuine best seller of the Middle Ages, is the lay devotional text adopted starting with the end of the 13^th century. This study represents the first investigation of books of hours produced in Italy from their beginnings until the Black Death. It is supported by the multi-disciplinary analysis of a corpus of seventeen manuscripts, in part yet unpublished. By reconstructing their patronage, identifying the artists at work on their decoration and analysing the images adorning their pages, the author outlines the development of the Italian books hours between courts and lay confraternites, art history and the dawn of civic christianity.