Why read Dino Compagni's Chronicle of Florence?

Book cover of Dino Compagni's Chronicle of Florence

Book description

Dino Campagni's classic chronicle gives a detailed account of a crucial period in the history of Florence, beginning about 1280 and ending in the first decade of the fourteenth century. During that time Florence was one of the largest cities in Europe and a center of commerce and culture. Its…

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European history

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Why read it?

1 author picked Dino Compagni's Chronicle of Florence as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tinney Sue Heath

Author

If you want to learn about medieval Florence, why not go directly to the source? Dino Compagni was a Florentine merchant, a member of the silk guild, and an active member of the city’s government, contemporary with Dante. He was right in the middle of things during that turbulent period—he saw it all and took part in a lot of it. His chronicle, which covers from about the year 1280 to the beginning of the fourteenth century, relates the harm he perceived coming from factional strife. Bornstein’s translation is clear and readable, and his extensive notes and introduction help to…

From Tinney's list on The best books on medieval Florence.