More personal and sophisticated than a standard guidebook, this essential guide to the Piero masterpieces provides a rare glimpse of the workings of the heart and mind of a world-famous art historian as he looks at and thinks about the paintings and frescoes. One by one, he describes the stories they portray, their meticulous composition, and the crucial and surprising role of fate in the commission for the church of San Francesco. Originally published in 1993, the book quickly achieved a cult following; this new edition includes, for the first time, Aldous Huxley’s “The Best Picture,” the famous essay that first inspired Pope-Hennessy to seek out the luminous and enigmatic works that now constitute the pilgrimage known as The Piero della Francesca Trail. The thousands of tourists who travel to Tuscany each year to follow the trail will welcome the republication of this beautifully designed volume. Buona lettura!