The Culture of the Renaissance in Italy, Jacob Burckhardt's most famous work, stands among the solitary peaks of historiography. To this day, it shapes our image of the Renaissance. Now, the first truly critical edition is being released, in which the fascinating genesis of the book is made as comprehensible as its editorial history since the first edition. For the first time, the materials in the estate of the Basel scholar are systematically utilized. The over 1200 notes from which the book developed clearly reveal its conception and structure. They also document highly insightful reflections by Burckhardt that found no place in the finished book. Furthermore, Burckhardt often articulated his thoughts here more directly and sharply than in his printed, globally recognized text. This edition thus allows the work to be read in a completely new light.