ART IN EARLY-MODERN LAW : evolving procedures for heritage protection in 15th- to 18th-century... europe

In the early modern centuries, several European states issued pioneering regulations to protect what they thought of as “heritage” – that is, antiquities, monuments, and paintings considered important for their country’s splendor. These early protocols have had a substantial impact on the development of legal and aesthetic approaches to heritage protection in recent times. In this volume, legislation is explored from both a legal and art-historical perspective in order to understand how cultural, political, and social factors influenced the introduction of the first systems for safeguarding “precious artifacts” in early modern Europe. By comparing concepts and practices developed in different states, the narrative tracks down the origins of legislation for heritage protection, shedding light on the gradual development of new definitions of “antiquity”, “artwork”, and “monument” in the laws issued between the 1400s and 1700s. In the second part, the transcriptions of these regulations are presented together with their English translations: the original texts were in early modern Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, German, and Latin. Such a systematic apparatus offers a robust research instrument to scholars and academics worldwide, also constituting a fascinating read for broader audiences interested in the history of heritage protection. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Translators’ Notes - The Old Italian States - The Other States and Counties in Europe - Editorial Addendum Part One: Art and Law. The Origins of Concepts and Procedures 3. A Comparative History of Concepts and Procedures - Defining “Heritage” in Early-Modern Law - Fortune of a Paradigm Part Two: Laws and Edicts in Early-modern European States 4. The Papal States 5. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany 6. The Kingdom of Denmark 7. The Kingdom of Sweden 8. The Kingdom of Portugal 9. The Province of Drenthe 10. The Duchy of Milan 11. The Kingdom of Spain 12. The Kingdom of Naples 13. The Republic of Venice 14. The Margraviate of Ansbach-Bayreuth 15. The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel 16. The Prussian States Appendix: Chronology of Laws and Provisions Bibliography In the early modern centuries, several European states issued pioneering regulations to protect what they thought of as “heritage” – that is, antiquities, monuments, and paintings considered important for their country's splendour. These early protocols have had a substantial impact on the development of legal and aesthetic approaches to heritage protection in recent times. In this volume, legislation is explored from both a legal and art-historical perspective in order to understand how cultural, political, and social factors influenced the introduction of the first systems for safeguarding “precious artefacts” in early modern Europe. By comparing concepts and practices developed in different states, the narrative tracks down the origins of legislation for heritage protection, shedding light on the gradual development of new definitions of “antiquity”, “artwork”, and “monument” in the laws issued between the 1400s and 1700s. In the second part, the transcriptions of these regulations are presented together with their English translations: the original texts were in early modern Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, German, and Latin. Such a systematic apparatus offers a robust research instrument to scholars and academics worldwide, also constituting a fascinating read for broader audiences interested in the history of heritage protection. Introduction Translators’ Notes The Other States and Counties in Europe The Old Italian States Editorial Addendum A Comparative History of Concepts and Procedures Defining “Heritage” in Early-Modern Law Fortune of a paradigm The Papal States The Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Kingdom of Denmark The Kingdom of Sweden The Kingdom of Portugal The Province of Drenthe The Duchy of Milan The Kingdom of Spain The Kingdom of Naples The Republic of Venice The Margraviate of Ansbach-Bayreuth The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel The Prussian States Appendix: Chronology of Laws and Provisions Bibliography Blank Page