Streets and the Commune: Italy in the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance

The formation of a domain of public space was the proudest achievement of the medieval commune. It was space that was won by reclaiming usurped land from some of the most powerful actors on the urban scene and by the formation of new streets and squares using the recently written laws of eminent domain. Building regulation was first formulated to protect the integrity of public space but evolved to promote the dignity and beauty of spaces that came to be considered the best representation of the well-ordered city.