Throughout the thirteenth century, the Roman Catholic papacy played a predominant role in the patronage of the arts, importing works from all corners of Europe to the Latium region. With The Roman Crucible, Julian Gardner offers a comprehensive and carefully researched overview of the role of the papacy in artistic patronage and the enormous impact of its program of acquisition in the rise of the Latium region as an important center for European art.
           
In addition to tracing the history of commissions approved by the church’s governing body, the Curia, Gardner’s research scrutinizes the complex relationships between artists and popes, cardinals, and other members of the church, with detailed accounts of individual’s stylistic and iconographic peculiarities. Gardner demonstrates how, through these interactions, Rome and the neighboring papal summer residences of Anagni, Orvieto, and Viterbo emerged as some of the most innovative artistic centers in Europe and melting pots for various artistic styles and techniques.