During the course of the fifteenth century, many prominent patrons of architecture in Italy sought to identify themselves with ancient Romans. Their exploration of antique models and sources was undertaken in partnership with architects and humanists and had a profound impact on the design, construction and refurbishment of city palaces. In this study, Georgia Clarke examines the fifteenth-century patrons' fascination with ancient texts and how the physical remains of ancient Italy were understood. Theories of variety, magnificence, and imitation, based on classical writings, were essential to this enterprise, which found concrete expression in built architecture. Close analysis of ancient and Renaissance text, architects' drawings, and examples of palace buildings across Italy demonstrate how fundamental these different elements are to our understanding of both Renaissance architecture and its cultural context.