This book has been inspired by the emphasis that Mark Davie’s studies have put on the cooperative nature of artistic and intellectual pursuits in the humanities. Whilst the importance of connections between intellectuals is often acknowledged in the form of intertextual studies, research into real dialogue between individuals is little researched, partly due to the practical challenges of such research. The ten chapters of this book - written by specialists in different cultures - redress in part this imbalance and offer a new angle on the canon by tracing the impact of concrete partnerships and communities in Italian and European history. The issues that the volume’s contributors keep in mind include: the reasons that artists and intellectuals choose to collaborate; the forms that this collaboration takes; the factors that determine its success; and whether some areas of culture lend themselves to intellectual collaboration better than others.