A presentation of over one hundred documents, selected and coordinated from the urban civilization of Middle Ages Italy. By connecting documents in translation to recent scholarship and debates, this book serves to introduce topics, to illustrate themes through primary material and to indicate further relevant reading. After a general introduction, the book is divided into five sections on physical environment, civic religion, economy, society and politics. There are around 20 documents in each section; each document is individually introduced and set in its own context and unusual words are concepts are explained.