Lords and towns in medieval Europe : the European historic towns atlas project /

Created "in a spirit of reconciliation after the destruction of European towns during the Second World War," the International Commission for the History of Towns emerged in 1953 to study the rise and development of urban centers from the post-Roman period to more recent times. This volume begins to unite material from the over 500 national atlases currently produced. Although the title and introductory matter stress the role of seigneurial power, the essays take a more functional approach. Coeditor Simms's contribution in part 1 traces the roots of the project, explaining how modern cadastral maps are used and speculating on digital versions of the material. Parts 2 and 3 present case studies from national perspectives, with contributions focusing on Central and Eastern Europe, England, and Ireland. Particularly valuable for Anglophone readers are the translated essays, such as Josef Zemlicka's study of Bohemian towns. The studies of symbolic meanings of town plans in part 4 are the most speculative, and seek to identify Christian ideas of social and spatial order in maps and landscapes. Part 5 adds the viewpoints of archaeology and art history, further expanding comparative urban studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Lorraine Christine Attreed, College of the Holy Cross