‘Peter Burke notes of this magisterial essay that it has been “long in the making”, and that’s not difficult to believe. With a sprezzatura worthy of Castiglione, he distils decades of research and reflection into a concise, eminently readable synthesis, dazzling in the range of examples it draws on, from sophisticated humanist wit to bull-baiting and fist-fights, from prestigious art practices such as comedy and dance to the “theatre of healing” offered by Venetian charlatans. This book offers a distinctive, field-shaping understanding of play.’Virginia Cox, New York University ‘In yet another brilliant work on the Italian Renaissance, Peter Burke explores the period’s playful side. Readers will now have the opportunity to appreciate the period in a new light: as a time when play and laughter occupied a significant place in culture, while also being the object of deep interest and intensive debate.’Alessandro Arcangeli, author of Recreation in the Renaissance