Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), who died at the stake, is one of the best-known symbols of anti-establishment thought. The theme of this volume, which is offered as a collection of essays to honor distinguished Bruno scholar Hilary Gatti, reflects her constant interest in the principles of cultural freedom and independent thinking. Several essays deal with Bruno himself and his reception. The authors and texts discussed here are linked by a relentless interest in the question of authority and originality, and they range from literary figures such as Alberti (1404-72) and Vasari (1511-74) to controversial philosophers and scientists who, like Bruno, were condemned by the Church, such as Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639). Taken together, these chapters show how much that was new and revolutionary in early modern culture came from its confrontation with the past. Legenda is a joint imprint of the Modern Humanities Research Association and Maney Publishing. Titles range from medieval texts to contemporary cinema and form a widely comparative view of the modern humanities. Martin McLaughlin is Agnelli-Serena Professor of Italian at Oxford.

Ingrid D. Rowland is Professor at the School of Architecture, University of Notre Dame. Elisabetta Tarantino is an independent scholar and honorary research fellow at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxfrod.