Part I: The roots of Italian urban form : Rome: The centre of the city as axis mundi
Christianity: The development of new urban forms
The Middle Ages: from the city of God to the city of man
Part II: The early modern city : Early Renaissance: Perspective, representation and the ideal
High Renaissance: The modern city all'antica
Mannerism: The theatre of the city
Baroque: Scale, form and meaning
Part III: The city and national consciousness : Neo-Classicism: Style and political ideology
Risorgimento: The formation of a national urban space
Fascism: The urban language of authoritarianism
Part IV: Urban expression in an age of uncertainty : Neo-Realism: Urban form and la dolce vita
Neo-Rationalism: Aldo Rossi and the rediscovery of typology
Labyrinths: The city of 'the years of lead'
The piazza and the politics of the present.