Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000002125049 | NA9204.T78 P64 1991 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
"The story of Turin's transformation is well told. . . . Pollak's account of the financial machinations of the Dukes in their efforts to acquire properties, and to pay for fortifications by taxing betterment on enclosed land, is one of the best parts of the book."--Simon Pepper, Times Literary Supplement
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Turin, the principal city of the Italian region of Piedmont and, from the later 16th century, the capital of the Duchy of Savoy, experienced unprecedented growth during the period covered by this book, transformed under a series of Savoyard rulers into an architectural model for Baroque Europe. Drawing from a vast array of sources, including archival documentation, architectural treatises, and a host of maps, plans and city views (with which the book is generously illustrated), Pollak offers a detailed reconstruction of the various enlargement campaigns, paying special attention to the theoretical, political, and military implications of the expansion. The book makes a valuable contribution to such fields as urban planning and architectural history, especially the branches concerned with the author's special expertise, military construction and theory. A caveat is that the book is based on a dissertation, and the writing suffers from the heavily factual dryness symptomatic of such studies. A bibliography (oddly absent, considering the book's origins) would also have been helpful. Particularly recommended for academic libraries with specialized holdings in the fields mentioned above.-J. I. Miller, California State University, Long Beach
