The character of this thesis has been controlled to a great extent by the material which has been available to me. My original intention had been to recreate a picture of the life in court during Federigo da Montefeltro's rule, to describe the fabric of the building, its decorations and furnishings and the people who frequent it. I found, however, after I had begun my research that much of the material which I needed was either non-existent or unavailable.
In the following chapters I have tried to bring out the important role which the court of Urbino played in the artistic life of Italy during Federigo's rule and the succeeding period. To devote one chapter out of five to the architect of the palace may seem to be giving undo emphasis to a minor matter. However, in the course of my work I found that little had been written about Luciano Laurana and that his importance in the formation of the style of High Renaissance architecture has been scarcely recognized.