Jeffrey A. White

The essay seeks to situate and interpret the BLONDI FLAVII FORLIVIENSIS ADDITIONES CORRECTIONESQVE ITALIAE ILLVSTRATAE of 1462 (much of it mirrored in Pius II Piccolomini’s Commentarii) – within the context of contemporary events and of the author’s Italia illustrata and entire life’s antiquarian work – as an un-mercenary encomium of Pius’ papacy, a history and celebration of the ‘founding’ of Pienza, and, in a minor key but insistently, as rationale and encouragement for a call to crusade....