x Acknowledgements
Multiple individuals helped in innumerable other ways during the various
stages of this project, mostly with your wisdom. I would like to thank David
Abulafia, Hugo Blake, Pietro Clemente, Harris Dellas, Steve Dyson, Letizia Pani
Ermini, Silvia Orvietani Busch, Emanuele Papi, Philippe Pergola, Jean-Michel
Poisson, Catia Renzi Rizzo, Cinzia Vismara, and Valentina Zingari.
William Germano, Dean of the Humanities at The Cooper Union, provided
invaluable guidance through every step and the multiple challenges associated
with the execution of such a complex project. I am grateful also for the support
of Dore Ashton, Anne Griffin, Mary Stieber, and my other colleagues at Cooper
Union. To Richard Hodges, the ultimate place maker, I am eternally grateful for
helping me bridge the divide between Italy and the States, with positive out-
look and constant engagement on archaeological matters and critical thinking.
Without the tireless efforts of the translators, Irina Oryshkevich, Christian
Hubert, Teddy Jefferson, Bruna Paba, Fiona Robb, Simona Figus, Paola Soddu
and Sally Davies, this volume would not exist. Many of the pictures in the chap-
ters of Daniela Rovina, Laura Biccone, and Marco Milanese are courtesy of the
Soprintendenza Archeologica della Sardegna. Many thanks also to Samantha
Jacobs, Amy Gillette, and Dein Mammone.
On the photographic front, I would like to thank Sebastiano Piras for
Giampaolo Mele’s chapter on music, as well as Giovanni Murgia and Giovanni
Porcu who kindly offered pictures from their archives. I also would like to
thank his Excellency, the Metropolitan Archbishop Ignazio Sanna of Arborea,
and the most Reverend Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral of Oristano, for
permission to two publish photographs in Mele’s chapter. I am also indebted
to many institutions for making their resources available to me throughout the
compilation of this book. First in line is the University Library of Siena, where
this project started and finished with Luca Lenzini’s fantastic and tireless staff.
The Library of the Institute of Fine Arts, Bobst Library at New York University,
Avery Library at Columbia University, and finally the New York Public Library
all opened their doors to me and provided research materials and services inte-
gral to researching and writing this volume.
At Brill I must firstly acknowledge Marcella Mulder for kindly accompa-
nying us through the entire journey, Tim Barnwell for his excellent editorial
attention, Kate Hammond for her decisiveness, Fem Eggers and Christine A.
Retz for putting on the final touches. Thanks must also go to the unknown peer
reviewers who kindly offered their time to read and ameliorate this book. None
of this would be possible without all the authors of this volume. I thank all of
you for the patience and the time it took to find a common language.