A work of great learning and skilful synthesis, beautifully illustrated.
SUNDAY TIMES
The spectacular festivals mounted by the princes of the Renaissance were
both a marriage of the arts and a complex and subtle expression of
political theory. From the Renaissance festivals ballet, opera and even
the proscenium arch theatre are derived. Festivals are therefore a vital
part of European cultural history. Here Roy Strong provides a guide to
theirorigins and purpose, and their lasting influence.