Jack Freiberg Knihy

Focusing on the Tempietto, this book explores its significance as a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and a symbol of Christian reinvention. Commissioned by Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, it is situated within a broader artistic movement that underscores Spain's role in promoting Christian dominance. The text highlights the architectural innovations that established the Tempietto as a model for Western design, supported by new photographs that showcase its artistic and historical importance from the Renaissance to today.

The Lateran in 1600: Christian Concord in Counter-Reformation Rome examines the physical and spiritual revival of the Pope's own church, the Cathedral of Rome, during the sixteenth century. Built by Constantine the Great, San Giovanni in Laterano was the undisputed centre of Christendom throughout the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, however, Saint Peter's gradually absorbed the Lateran's prestige through the transfer of the official papal residence to the Vatican. At the height of the Counter-Reformation, when concern for the Church's Early Christian heritage was at its peak, Pope Clement VIII (1592–1605) turned his attention to restoring the Lateran as a symbol of the triumph of Christianity, and the result constituted a primary statement of the ideals of the Christian church at this critical moment. The emphasis on reconciliation and concord that defines the decoration both visually and iconographically parallels Clement VIII's achievement in leading the Christian nation to peace on the eve of the new century.