'There is no doubt that the present splendid volume … is likely to remain unrivalled for many years to come for width of coverage, richness of detail, and elegance of presentation.' Modern Language Review

• List of contributors; Preface; Acknowledgements; Map; Chronology; Part I. Origins and Duecento: 1. The earliest evidence Jonathan Usher; 2. Poetry Jonathan Usher; 3. Prose Jonathan Usher; Part II. The Trecento: 4. Dante Lino Pertile; 5. Boccaccio Pamela D. Stewart; 6. Petrarch John Took; 7. Minor writers Steven Botterill; Part III. The Quattrocento: 8. Humanism Letizia Panizza; 9. Power, patronage and literary associations Letizia Panizza; 10. Literature in the vernacular Letizia Panizza; Part IV. The Cinquecento: 11. Prose Brian Richardson; 12. Narrative poetry Peter Marinelli; 13. Lyric poetry Anthony Oldcorn; 14. Theatre Richard Andrews; Part V. The Seicento: Poetry, Philosophy and Science: 15. The Baroque Paulo Cherchi; 16. Lyric poetry Paulo Cherchi; 17. Mock-epic poetry and satire Paulo Cherchi; 18. Treatises Paulo Cherchi; Part VI. Narrative Prose and Theatre: 19. Narrative prose Albert N. Mancini; 20. Theatre Albert N. Mancini; 21. Opera David Kimbell; Part VII. The Settecento: 22. The first half of the Settecento Franco Fido; 23. The theatre from Metastasio to Goldoni Franco Fido; 24. Opera David Kimbell; 25. The Enlightenment and Parini Franco Fido; 26. Alfieri and pre-Romanticism Franco Fido; Part VIII. The Age of Romanticism (1800–1870): 27. The Romantic controversy Giovanni Carsaniga; 28. Monti Giovanni Carsaniga; 29. Foscolo Giovanni Carsaniga; 30. Leopardi Giovanni Carsaniga; 31. Manzoni and the novel Giovanni Carsaniga; 32. Other novelists and posts of the Risorgimento Giovanni Carsaniga; 33. Opera since 1800 David Kimbell; Part IX. The Literature of United Italy (1870–1910): 34. Writer and society in the new Italy Robert Dombroski; 35. Pirandello Felicity Firth; Part X. The Rise and Fall of Fascism (1910–45): 36. Poetry and the avant-garde Robert Dombroski; 37. Philosophy and literature from Croce to Gramsci Robert Dombroski; 38. The novel Robert Dombroski; Part XI. The Aftermath of the War (1945–56): 39. After the Liberation John Gatt-Rutter; 40. Neo-realism John Gatt-Rutter; 41. History and the poets John Gatt-Rutter; Part XII. Contemporary Italy (since 1956): 42. The late 1950s and the 1960s Michael Caesar; 43. The 1970s Michael Caesar; 44. The 1980s Michael Caesar; Bibliography; Index.

'There is no doubt that the present splendid volume … is likely to remain unrivalled for many years to come for width of coverage, richness of detail, and elegance of presentation.' Modern Language Review

• List of contributors; Preface; Acknowledgements; Map; Chronology; Part I. Origins and Duecento: 1. The earliest evidence Jonathan Usher; 2. Poetry Jonathan Usher; 3. Prose Jonathan Usher; Part II. The Trecento: 4. Dante Lino Pertile; 5. Boccaccio Pamela D. Stewart; 6. Petrarch John Took; 7. Minor writers Steven Botterill; Part III. The Quattrocento: 8. Humanism Letizia Panizza; 9. Power, patronage and literary associations Letizia Panizza; 10. Literature in the vernacular Letizia Panizza; Part IV. The Cinquecento: 11. Prose Brian Richardson; 12. Narrative poetry Peter Marinelli; 13. Lyric poetry Anthony Oldcorn; 14. Theatre Richard Andrews; Part V. The Seicento: Poetry, Philosophy and Science: 15. The Baroque Paulo Cherchi; 16. Lyric poetry Paulo Cherchi; 17. Mock-epic poetry and satire Paulo Cherchi; 18. Treatises Paulo Cherchi; Part VI. Narrative Prose and Theatre: 19. Narrative prose Albert N. Mancini; 20. Theatre Albert N. Mancini; 21. Opera David Kimbell; Part VII. The Settecento: 22. The first half of the Settecento Franco Fido; 23. The theatre from Metastasio to Goldoni Franco Fido; 24. Opera David Kimbell; 25. The Enlightenment and Parini Franco Fido; 26. Alfieri and pre-Romanticism Franco Fido; Part VIII. The Age of Romanticism (1800–1870): 27. The Romantic controversy Giovanni Carsaniga; 28. Monti Giovanni Carsaniga; 29. Foscolo Giovanni Carsaniga; 30. Leopardi Giovanni Carsaniga; 31. Manzoni and the novel Giovanni Carsaniga; 32. Other novelists and posts of the Risorgimento Giovanni Carsaniga; 33. Opera since 1800 David Kimbell; Part IX. The Literature of United Italy (1870–1910): 34. Writer and society in the new Italy Robert Dombroski; 35. Pirandello Felicity Firth; Part X. The Rise and Fall of Fascism (1910–45): 36. Poetry and the avant-garde Robert Dombroski; 37. Philosophy and literature from Croce to Gramsci Robert Dombroski; 38. The novel Robert Dombroski; Part XI. The Aftermath of the War (1945–56): 39. After the Liberation John Gatt-Rutter; 40. Neo-realism John Gatt-Rutter; 41. History and the poets John Gatt-Rutter; Part XII. Contemporary Italy (since 1956): 42. The late 1950s and the 1960s Michael Caesar; 43. The 1970s Michael Caesar; 44. The 1980s Michael Caesar; Bibliography; Index.