This volume, edited by Alberto Fiz, explores private collecting through a rich selection of over 150 works from 18 of Italy's most important contemporary art collections. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs and videos show the figure of the collector not merely as a simple purchaser of works, but as the creator of a world, a project that grows in line with his or her personal sensitivity. In opening their doors to these private collections, the third millennium's patrons take on a leading role in today's cultural landscape, offering a unique opportunity to promote otherwise unknown masterpieces. Ranging from Piero Manzoni to Tomas Saraceno, from Marina Abramovic to Maurizio Cattelan, this volume provides a collective picture, a 'collection of collections', linked with our modern-day passions and tastes.