Throughout the centuries, the Italian peninsula has played an important role as a crossroads where different cultures met, transformed and continued their journeys. This volume retraces some of these crossings, in the fields of literature, architecture and cinema: from the influence of the classical heritage, to the origins and diffusion of the Italian Renaissance, to the role of individuals in the discovery and transmission of knowledge, and the dialogue in and through translation with other national cultures, European and beyond. The volume marks the retirement of Martin McLaughlin from the Agnelli-Serena Chair of Italian Studies at the University of Oxford and celebrates his highly distinguished career in Italian studies. Professor McLaughlin's research has ranged from classical literatures to the Renai­ssance and to modern and contemporary literature. He has published a host of ground-breaking books, edited volumes, articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics, as well as outstanding translations of Calvino and Eco. No less significant have been his teaching, his roles in the running of academic journals and monograph series, and his contributions to the life of the academic community.