What drives Renaissance Italy to the Holy Land? Judith Frömmer examines how the discourse surrounding the Crusades, which ultimately deals with defeat and loss, was appropriated for various founding narratives in the flourishing culture of the Italian city-states. The Crusades have a dubious reputation. They are seen as the epitome of a medieval culture and as a rather disreputable chapter in European history. Yet, long after the last knights lost their lives in the Holy Land, there is talk in Renaissance Italy of new Crusades to Jerusalem. From Genoa, Florence, and Ferrara, authors of travel reports, sermons, and knightly epics prepare for the battle for the Holy City. Why do the stories of a project that led to the definitive loss of the Holy Land from Europe's perspective enjoy such great popularity there?.