Il bello e l’utile. Lo spazio fisico come progetto politico

The essay examines how the concept of magnificentia is treated in Italian humanist literature of the fifteenth Century. It traces its doctrinal origins to Aristotle and Cicero, and follows the concept’s applications in the writings of several
humanists of Aragonese Naples. It concludes that magnificentia is understood first and foremost as investment in works of public benefit.