A new age dawns at the beginning of the 15th century in Italy: the Renaissance. With Florentine beginnings, it blossoms in Rome and reaches a further highpoint in the Palladian Villas of the Veneto. Medieval Castles are transformed into modern mansions, and the houses of the rich become palaces. The Italian Renaissance radiates throughout Europe. The age of the Baroque also begins in Italy, finding its architectural highpoint in Versailles and other European royal residences, as well as the cloisters and churches of southern Germany and Austria. All this, and more, is to be found in this volume.