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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.
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Episodes
Cities Artists Theory Answers to Open Questions Interviews
Episode 58 – Florence: Uffizi Gallery: International Gothic Style Paintings
  • Posted: February 26th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode explores the paintings in the Uffizi Gallery collection that best embody the principles of that style that marks the transition between the Gothic and Renaissance worlds, known as the "International Gothic Style." This style combines the elegance and elaborateness of Goth...
Episode 57: Florence – North Doors of Florence Baptistry
  • Posted: February 19th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines the "North Doors" of Florence Baptistry that were produced by Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1403-1423 as a result of the famous competition of 1401 won by the same artist. The same International Gothic Style attributes that characterize Ghiberti's earlier competition p...
Episode 56: Florence – Competition Panels (Bargello)
  • Posted: February 12th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines the event that sparked the Renaissance - the famous competition between Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi in 1401 for the contract for a set of bronze doors of Florence Baptistry. These two Renaissance giants produced bronze relief panels depicting the Old...
Episode 55: Answers to Open Questions – Part II
  • Posted: February 5th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode will answer many of the questions proposed by my listeners. From how the frescoes on the dome of Florence cathedral were executed, to how the artist Caravaggio died, to the Kenneth Clark vs. John Berger controversy - and much more - I respond directly to your very own ques...
You Know When You are in the South of Italy When…
  • Posted: January 30th, 2020
The Italian comic Alessandro Siani once said that when you visit the South of Italy, you cry once when you arrive and then again when you leave. It is nearly impossible to understand this expression unless you start to understand that beautifully crazy area of Italy that starts with Rome and extends...
Episode 54: Florence: Santa Maria Novella – Strozzi Chapel
  • Posted: January 29th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines the beautiful pictorial decorations in the 14th-century Strozzi Chapel in Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy by the brothers Andrea (better known as "Orcagna") and Nardo di Cione. Almost perfectly preserved after eight centuries, the chapel also offers the ext...
Episode 53: Saints and Symbols
  • Posted: January 22nd, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines the sometimes violent, often bizarre, and always fascinating representations of saints and martyrs in Italian medieval and Renaissance art. From St. Sebastian's arrows to St. Lucy's eyeballs to St. Lawrence's barbecue grill, we shall discuss saint imagery and its ...
Episode 52 – Siena: Cathedral Pulpit by Nicola Pisano
  • Posted: January 15th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines Nicola Pisano's great sculptural pulpit in the cathedral in Siena, Italy. Carved five years after his pulpit in Pisa Baptistry, this work is much more Gothic in style, reflecting its highly decorative architectural surroundings. Yet, Pisano's work is still full of...
Episode 51: Florence – Uffizi Gallery – Medieval Paintings
  • Posted: January 8th, 2020
Episode Info: This episode examines the medieval paintings in the extraordinary collection of paintings in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. Works by Giotto, Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti exemplify the move towards naturalism in this proto-Renaissance moment....
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 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!...
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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!"
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