The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth is among the most celebrated loca sancta in the Holy Land, a sacred destination of both Eastern and Western pilgrims for millennia. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the modern edifice, this anthology is the first to offer a comprehensive study of the church, comprising the historical stages of its construction from the Byzantine era, through Crusader and Franciscan campaigns, and into the present day; the impact of the Second Vatican Council on the reception of modern elements of its architecture; and studies of its decorative elements including stained-glass windows, bronze doors, and votive panels from all over the world. These various analyses take into consideration the complex challenges facing Christian art in a multicultural world.

The book presents a broad panoramic overview of church architecture in the Russian North between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries. While it is inevitably overshadowed by the imperial splendour of the country's capital cities, this unique phenomenon is regarded as the most distinctive national expression of traditional Russian artistic culture and at the same time as a significant part of humanity's worldwide architectural heritage. The chief intention of the book is to present the regionally specific features of the wooden churches of the Russian North, which vary from area to area for local natural or historical reasons. This approach touches upon the very important questions of the typology and classification of the multiplicity of architectural forms. The "regional view" entails giving clear definitions of the ambiguous terms "architectural school" and "tradition", explaining the origins and shaping impulses for the different regional clusters of objects. Structurally the book presents a history of the development of wooden church architecture in the Russian North and then follows the key points of the mediaeval Russian expansion along the waterways from Novgorod into the North - he Svir' River, Lake Onego, the town of Kargopol' and the River Onega, the White Sea, the Rivers Dvina, Pinega and Mezen' - those areas that still retain the most splendid pieces of Russian regional wooden church architecture. The study is based on field research and provides an up-to-date, multi-faceted view of Russian wooden architecture.

An extraordinary witness to religious faith, the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi is one of the great monuments of Italy, a treasure-house of masterpieces by great painters such Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti. The book illustrates the entire artistic patrimony of the Basilica, showing the frescoes that were damaged or destroyed during the 1997 earthquake, both in their original condition and as they now appear after restoration. This title includes texts by G. Bonsanti, M.M. Donato, G.B. Fidanza, A. Franci, A. Iacuzzi, P. Magro, F. Martin, L. Meoni, P. Mercurelli Salati, A. Monciatti, E. Neri Lusanna, R.P. Novello, G. Rocchi Coopmans de Yoldi, G. Ruf, G. Sapori. Photographs by E. and S. Ciol, G. Roli, G. Ruf. "Mirabilia Italiae" is a series unique in the world.It owes its existence to an innovative and ambitious project: an Atlas of the great monuments of Italy that will display them in all their details, from the best known to the least. This series represents a completely new way of documenting art. "Mirabilia Italiae" provides a guided tour of each monument, fully and accurately explained. Each Atlas contains hundreds of colour photographs, arranged in a precise topographical sequence and accompanied by diagrams showing the exact location of each detail. The Atlas is complemented by a volume of texts edited by the premier scholars in the field, consisting of critical essays and descriptive notes. Essays examine the monument from the art-historical point of view, and record the alterations it has undergone over time. Descriptive notes analyse the content and significance of the images.Extensive cross-references link the essays and notes to the images, facilitating consultation of the work. The General Editor of "Mirabilia Italiae" is Salvatore Settis, Director of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa.