Villas of Tuscany
Although wishful travelers may want to use this oversized book to plan their dream vacation, art and architecture historians will probably find it more useful, as architect and architectural history professor Cresti documents and analyzes the dates, floor plans and styles of 38 Tuscan villas. Descriptions such as "To speak of a façade in this instance is almost inappropriate, inasmuch as the space enveloping and traversing the building's entire front tends to collect in the openings, thicken in the hollows, condense around the statues, and find its shape according to the differences of level" accompany full-color photographs of edifices, interiors, gardens and more. For each villa, Cresti eloquently describes the building and explains a bit about its history. Listri's photos are the book's meat, though, and make this a beautiful volume for both armchair travelers and historians.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.