Description
Joanne Allen’s comprehensive study investigates the evolution of church interior design in Renaissance Florence, focusing on the pivotal role of screens and choir spaces in defining sacred environments. From medieval foundations through the transformative period of the Council of Trent, Allen demonstrates how architectural modifications reflected and facilitated changes in liturgical practice and religious devotion.
The book analyzes how screens—including rood screens, choir screens, and partition walls—functioned as both physical barriers and symbolic dividers between clergy and laity. Allen explores the theological implications of these spatial arrangements and how they influenced the experience of worship. She further examines how the Tridentine Reform’s emphasis on visibility and accessibility reshaped these interior configurations, ultimately modernizing church design to align with Counter-Reformation principles.
Essential reading for scholars of Renaissance art, architecture, and religious history, this work provides detailed documentation of specific Florentine churches and their transformations, offering new insights into the relationship between sacred space and spiritual practice.
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