Barmi is a fictional city.  It cannot be located on any map.  Its name does not appear in the pages of almanacs or history books.  Yet it could exist almost anywhere along the Mediterranean coast.  

The layout of Barmi's streets, the history of its fortified walls, and the splendor of its public buildings mirror the authentic southern European cities whose sagas—dating from the fourth century B.C. to the present—inspired the drawings, diagrams, and text of this book.

Readers are introduced to Barmi's history, architecture, administration, and culture at fourteen crucial stages of the city's development.  Panoramic overviews are accompanied by explanatory text and detail drawings that describe significant aspects of the city at various moments in its fascinating evolution.

From the dust jacket