The idea of writing a book about Giotto emerged during my first stay in Italy from 1885 to 1887. The clearer my understanding of Giotto's historical position became during my work, in contrast to the prevailing view, the more it became evident that it was necessary to address this artist in the context of the entire Italian Middle Ages. Aside from shorter excursions, I traveled the entire peninsula, including Sicily, once again from this perspective over eight months in 1893/94. The art historian Max Georg Zimmermann describes the great artist Giotto and the art of Italy in the Middle Ages in this volume. The first volume explains the prerequisites and initial developments of Giotto's art, illustrated with over 140 historical images.