Podcasts-2 - Rocky Ruggiero

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Rebuilding The Renaissance podcast will explore the development of the art, architecture, culture and history in Italy, from ancient Roman times through the Renaissance. Listeners will develop an understanding of Italy’s role in the development of Western civilization and an ability to appreciate and understand works of art in their historical context.

"No one brings the Renaissance to life better than Rocky"

- Treskovich

"No one brings the Renaissance to life better than Rocky"

- Valoreev

"No one brings the Renaissance to life better than Rocky"

- Historywrocky

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Episodes

Cities Artists Theory Answers to Open Questions Interviews

Episode 50 – 50th Episode Celebration!

Posted: January 1st, 2020

Episode Info: This milestone episode celebrates the production of my 50th episode by telling you more about who I am, what I do, why I do it and I how I got there from both a personal and professional perspective....

Episode 49 – A Renaissance Christmas

Posted: December 25th, 2019

Episode Info: This holiday episode explores the history and traditions of the world's most popular holiday - Christmas! From St. Nick to Jesus' infancy to candy canes, we discuss how both pagan and Christian traditions magically coalesced into the holiday that we celebrate today....

Episode 48: Florence – San Miniato al Monte

Posted: December 18th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode explores the history and examines the architecture of one of the most unique churches of medieval Europe. Consecrated in 1018 CE, the thousand-year-old Romanesque church of San Miniato in Florence, Italy houses an eclectic mix of artistic styles inside of a distinctly myst...

Episode 47: Pisa – Baptistry Pulpit by Nicola Pisano

Posted: December 11th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines one of the most extraordinary sculptures of the Middle Ages. Nicola Pisano revolutionized sculpture in the 13th century by introducing drama, psychology, classical motifs, anatomy and movement. Although few works exist by the great sculptor, he would inspire later...

Episode 46: Pisa – The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Posted: December 4th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode explores the great Romanesque architectural monuments of the Tuscan city of Pisa. From its majestic marble cathedral, to its elegant circular baptistry, to what I like to call the greatest architectural disaster since Babylon – the leaning tower, Pisa is home to some of ...

Episode 45: Florence – The Baptistry Part II – Mosaics

Posted: December 3rd, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine the breathtaking mosaics that decorate the ceiling of Florence Baptistry. Epic in scale and subject matter, and excruciatingly meticulous in execution, the mosaics represent one of the greatest works of art of medieval Europe and may have inspired both Dante a...

Episode 44: Florence – The Baptistry – Part I

Posted: November 20th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode explores the history and architecture of what is, in local tradition, the most important monument in Florence, Italy. Nearly a millennium old, the Romanesque building has always been the heart of Florentine society and tradition....

Episode 43: Answers To Open Questions – Part I

Posted: November 13th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will answer the questions posed by various listeners on our social media platforms. From what sparked my own interest in the Renaissance, to whether Giotto or Michelangelo was more influential in shaping Renaissance art, all the way to Michelangelo's sexuality, no question...

Maybe We Should Call Him Léonardo De Vichy

Posted: November 7th, 2019

[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget] DEATH OF LEONARDO, JEAN AUGUSTE DOMINQUE INGRES, 1818, PETIT PALAIS, PARIS, FRANCE On May 2, 1519, Leonardo Da Vinci passed away at the Chateau Clos Lucé, in Amboise, France. Why was Leonardo in France? Beca...

Episode 42: Theory – Bronze Sculpture

Posted: November 6th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine the technique of bronze sculpture. From the making of the initial model, to the casting of the bronze, all the way down to the signature patination of the sculpture by the artist, discover just went into the production of the metal masterpieces....

Episode 41 – Theory: Marble Sculpture

Posted: October 30th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the sculptural medium of marble and how artists worked the stone. From the quarries of Carrara to the various tools used by the sculptor, we discover just what goes into producing a sculptural masterpiece in marble....

Episode 40 – Florence: Statues at Orsanmichele

Posted: October 23rd, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the extraordinary collection of statues on the outside of the church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy. Produced by some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, such as Donatello, Ghiberti and Verrocchio, each statue reflects the changing artistic styles of t...

Episode 39 – Florence: Orsanmichele

Posted: October 16th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode recounts the history behind the medieval–grain–market–turned–church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy. The building has always reflected the bustling commercial character of the city, first as a marketplace for grain and then as its official guild church....

Episode 38 – Florence: Ponte Vecchio and the Vasari Corridor

Posted: October 9th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode explores the history and evolution of one of the world's most famous bridges – the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. From ancient Roman times through to today, the bridge has served as a means of passage between the banks of the Arno river, as well a thriving commercial ...

And They’re Off! Palio and Pathos in Siena

Posted: October 2nd, 2019

“Cheer up, there’s dirt in the piazza!” Although much of the nuance is lost in translation (“Coraggio, c’è terra in piazza!”), this expression best embodies what the Palio means for the Sienese. That no matter the gravity of one’s predicament, ailment or loss, if there is dirt in the ...

Episode 37 – Florence: Santa Maria Novella – The Spanish Chapel – Part II

Posted: October 2nd, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the beautiful fresco decoration inside of the Spanish Chapel in the convent of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy. These paintings are not only prime examples of art produced in the wake of the Black Death, but they also testify to how the Dominicans effective...

Episode 36: Florence: Santa Maria Novella – The Spanish Chapel – Part I

Posted: September 25th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the history and patronage of one of the great medieval churches of Florence: Santa Maria Novella. The seat of the Dominican Order in Florence, the rather severe style of the art in this church reflects the orthodox philosophy of this particular religious order. Pe...

Episode 35: San Gimignano: Black Death Paintings in the Collegiata

Posted: September 18th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines one of the most sinister and violent fresco cycles of the Middle Ages in the cathedral or "Collegiata" of the Tuscan town of San Gimignano. Attributed to a mysterious artist named Barna Da Siena, the frescoes are often used as an example of a "post-Black Death sty...

Episode 34: European History: The Black Death Part II

Posted: September 11th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the consequences of the Black Death on medieval European society. From religion, to economics, to art, the Black Death would forever change Europe and in many ways prepare the way for the coming of the Renaissance....

Episode 33: European History: The Black Death Part I

Posted: September 4th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode addresses one of the greatest natural calamities in human history - the Black Death. This "mother of all plagues" wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population over just a couple of years and left an indelible mark upon western society....

Episode 32 – Padua – The Scrovegni Chapel Part 4: The Passion of Jesus Christ

Posted: August 28th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode is the fourth and final episode addressing the extraordinary frescoes by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. The paintings in this episode represent the climax of the visual narrative and depict the story of the passion of Jesus Christ....

Episode 31: Padua – The Scrovegni Chapel Part 3: The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ

Posted: August 21st, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the extraordinary visual representations of the "Life of Jesus Christ" created by the visionary painter Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy in the early 14th century....

Episode 30: Padua – The Scrovegni Chapel Part 2: The Last Judgement and the Life of the Virgin Mary

Posted: August 14th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine two of the extraordinary themes depicted in Giotto's paintings in the Scrovegni Chapel: the surprisingly optimistic Last Judgement, and the startlingly cinematic Life of the Virgin Mary....

Episode 29: Padua – The Scrovegni Chapel Part 1: History

Posted: August 7th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will address the history of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy from its construction, to its patronage, to its decoration by the great painter Giotto. We will also discuss the modern system of conservation employed at the chapel in order to conserve the recently-restored...

Episode 28: Florence – Florence Cathedral

Posted: July 31st, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine the architecture and explore the epic construction history of one of the largest and most beautiful churches in the world....

Episode 27: Siena – Palio

Posted: July 24th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will explore the thrilling horserace known as the Palio that takes place in the central medieval square of Siena twice a year. Winning the race is the most important objective of every Sienese person, and we shall examine just how far the Sienese will go in order to obtain...

Episode 26: Siena – The Allegory of Good and Bad Government

Posted: July 17th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine one of the most timeless and politically enlightening works of art of all time - Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government - which clearly reveals that the governing principles of an effective democracy transcend time!...

Episode 25: Siena – The Day the Virgin Mary Got into Politics (Simone Martini’s Maestà)

Posted: July 10th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine Simone Martini's mural of the Maestà in the Hall of the Great Council in Siena's town hall, known as the Palazzo Pubblico. The painting represents a milestone moment in the history of art where a religious subject is inserted into a civic setting for the firs...

Episode 24: Siena – The Palazzo Pubblico and Piazza del Campo

Posted: July 5th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will analyze the history and architecture of the medieval town hall of Siena known as the Palazzo Pubblico, which was one of the seminal civic structures in Europe. We shall also examine what has been described as the most beautiful urban space in all of Italy - the Piazza...

Episode 23: Siena – City of the Virgin Mary (Battle of Montaperti/Duccio’s Maestà)

Posted: June 26th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the very special relationship that Siena has with the Virgin Mary and how this privileged relationship came about. We shall also discuss one of the most important paintings in the history of art - Duccio's great Maestà....

Episode 22: Siena – Siena Cathedral

Posted: June 19th, 2019

Episode Info: This podcast will recount the extraordinary construction history and examine the striking architecture of one of the world's most beautiful churches - the cathedral of Siena....

Episode 21: Siena – The Foundation Myth

Posted: June 12th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode recounts the foundation myth of the great Tuscan city of Siena and how 14th-century Sienese government officials claimed to have discovered a document that traced Siena's ancestry all the way back to Ancient Rome - but not to Rome's great founder Romulus, but instead to hi...

Episode 20: Theory – Put it in a Box – Defining the Periods in Western Art History

Posted: June 5th, 2019

Episode Info: In this episode, I lay out the terms and dates of the major western historical and art historical periods, and various works of art and architecture with which they can be identified....

Episode 19: Theory – Stick it on a Wall – The Art of Fresco Painting

Posted: May 29th, 2019

Episode Info: This podcast will explain the technique of fresco painting, the various advantages and disadvantages of this millennia-old method, as well as famous examples of this medium from the Renaissance....

Episode 18: Florence – Giotto’s Frescoes in Santa Croce

Posted: May 22nd, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will analyze Giotto's frescoes of "The Life of St. Francis" in the Bardi Chapel in Santa Croce. Giotto's introduction of naturalism, psychology, movement, emotion, and drama into his paintings was a groundbreaking innovation for medieval painting....

Episode 17: Florence – Celebrity Tombs in Santa Croce

Posted: May 15th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode explores and examines what is arguably the world's most impressive collection of celebrity tombs that is housed in the great Franciscan basilica, including the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli....

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"We recently traveled to Florence with our twin daughters and we wanted them to experience the rich art history of Florence in a more personalized basis. We were grateful that Rocky agreed to this assignment. His Knowledge, love and enthusiasm for the arts was contagious. It was the highlight of our trip!"

Alan L. Rivera

CFO and General Counsel, Millbrook Capital Management, Inc.

"I can say that Rocky Ruggiero is the best among the very best. I have yet to encounter a more precise, informative and commanding teacher or conductor through the beauty and magnificence of Florence and Italy"

Peter Weller

Actor, Director, Writer, Musician, Scholar

"Rocky is a favorite and one of the best art historians we’ve ever used. He has led our family on occasion where are high school and college kids praised how Rocky made art "interesting" and "relevant", while his interactive style held everyone’s attention"

Michael Chesser

President and Founder Chesser Group Inc., Los Angeles CA