Fore mote than three decades the problem of the transition from medieval to early modern time has been an important issue of debate for various disciplines within cultural history. The essays in this collection will explore the historical developments in these epochs, focusing on the relation between tradition and innovation on three levels: (1) perceptions of the world and changing geographical boundaries; (2) literary activity in the social environment of towns and humanist circles; and (3) new modes of interpretation and representation in intellectual history.