History 493l-X1: Topics in History: Renaissance Italy
Professor Brian Nance
The Italian city-states of the renaissance established themselves as the center of European trade, broke with traditional feudal politics, and created a new understanding of the individual. To trace the stunning growth of Florence during this period, we will examine the writings and lives of such Florentines as Dante, Machiavelli, Alberti, Leonardo Bruni, and the Medici family. We will also compare Florence’s development to that of other cities that we will visit, including Venice, Rome, Siena, and Pisa. As a case study, we will see how Florentine politics and creativity constructed the dome of the Florentine cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Brunelleschi to complete one of the most important architectural achievements of the Renaissance. We will meet daily for lectures and tours.

Texts
Gene Brucker, Renaissance Florence. (1983)
Ross King, Brunelleschi’s Dome. (2001)
The Blue Guide to Florence
Coursepak.

Requirements and Evaluation
All assigned readings (TBD) are mandatory. Students are required to participate in all scheduled lectures, to attend all scheduled tours of buildings, monuments, churches, and galleries, and join the group for all scheduled excursions to other towns. Students are required to keep a daily journal of their experiences, and MUST hand in a research paper (8-10pp) at the end of the summer (topics to be assigned later).
Grades will break down as follows:
Attendance/participation: 50%
Journal: 20%
Research paper: 30%

Note: Anyone who does not turn in a research paper will receive an F for the course