From the Roman Empire to the present day, this is the story of Italy. Until just over a century ago, Italy did not exist as a political unit, yet it was both the heart of the Christian Church and the seedbed for the extraordinary cultural flowering that was the Renaissance. In the middle ages, the merchants of Florence, Genoa, and Venice bridged Asia and Europe with their trading and financial activities, yet Italy remained a region of fiercely independent city-states. In the nineteenth century an upsurge of nationalist fervour was channelled by Garibaldi into a victorious war against Italy's Habsburg overlords. A political vision was finally realized and the nation of Italy was created. This extensively illustrated survey by twelve leading historians offers a fascinating introduction to the history and culture of Italy.