Originally published in 1954, this book is an anthology of 260 Italian letters written between 1459 and 1600 by some of the most prominent figures of the Renaissance, including Michelangelo, Cellini and Machiavelli. Butler divides the letters according to subject matter - news, family matters, reproach, and others - and charts the development of letter writing as a literary form, which flourished in Italy long before anywhere else. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Renaissance or Italian history.