Publication: Heraldry in Medieval and Renaissance Cities (Heraldic Studies 6)
We are pleased to officially announce the publication of the sixth volume of the series Heraldic Studies. Under the title “Heraldry in Medieval and Rennaissance Cities”, Torsten Hiltmann, Laurent Hablot and Matteo Ferrari present an interdisciplinary collection that examines the semiotic function of heraldic displays as an urban phenomenon in Medieval Europe, with particular regard to Italy, where heraldry appears as a prevalent form of visual communication. Heraldic Studies 6 builds on the workshop Heraldry in the Medieval City held at the École française de Rome.

Cover: Finken & Bumiller, Stuttgart; Image: Florenz, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Tempi 3, fol. 58r. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).
Synopsis: The Medieval and Renaissance city is a space of dense co-habitation and competition of authorities in an enclosed, organised and expanding space. As the medieval city increasingly assumes a central role, especially within the confines of the Italian peninsula, it emerges as a field of study, in which heraldic practices are consolidated and refined. A great number of heraldic case studies have granted special attention to Italy due to its quantity, variety, and early chronology of preserved heraldic evidence. This collection of 13 papers explores heraldry as a social, spatial, and communicative practice embedded in the urban environment. It aims to offer a comprehensive perspective, integrating locally, regionally and broader European observations into a pluralistic analytical approach. Thereby, the authors contribute to a better understanding of heraldry’s role in negotiating identity and hierarchy within the diversity and structural complexity of the city.
Further information can be found in the table of contents. Volumes one to six of Heraldic Studies can be purchased here. An open access publication of this most recent collection, as well as the previous Heraldic Studies volumes is in the works.
The publication was funded by the Volkswagen Foundation as part of the Dilthey Fellowship project Die Performanz der Wappen (Torsten Hiltmann) and in cooperation with the research programme Héraldique, emblématique et signes d’identité au Moyen Âge (Laurent Hablot).
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
krumbach (May 19, 2026). Publication: Heraldry in Medieval and Renaissance Cities (Heraldic Studies 6). Heraldica Nova. Retrieved June 16, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/168m8


