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"

- Historywrocky

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

- Valoreev

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Episodes

Cities Artists Theory Answers to Open Questions Interviews

Bernini Borromini Brunelleschi Canova Caravaggio Donatello Giotto Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Other Artists Raphael Tintoretto Titian

Episode 61: Florence – Donatello’s Marble “David” (Bargello)

Posted: March 18th, 2020

Episode Info: This episode examines Donatello's seminal heroic interpretation of the "David" subject in sculpture. Removed from its original context at the Duomo and inserted into a civic setting at the Palazzo Vecchio, the statue became the symbol of divine protection for the Florentine Republic....

Episode 60: Florence – Cathedral Facade Sculptures

Posted: March 11th, 2020

Episode Info: This episode examines the statues that were produced by the likes of Arnolfo Di Cambio, Nanni Di Banco and Donatello and adorned the original facade of Florence cathedral. These extraordinary statues reflect the transition from the International Gothic to the Early Renaissance style....

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 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 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 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 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 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....

Episode 14: Assisi – The Basilica of San Francesco

Posted: April 24th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode examines the history, architecture and decoration of great shrine to St. Francis in Assisi that was decorated by a veritable all-star team of late-13th/early-14th-century artists such as Cimabue, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and perhaps even Giotto. It also discusses ...

Episode 12: Florence – Speaking Statues in Piazza della Signoria

Posted: April 11th, 2019

Episode Info: This episode will examine the extraordinary collection of sculptures in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. From Donatello's "Judith and Holofernes' to Michelangelo's "David" to Cellini's "Perseus and Medusa", each sculpture represents a chapter in the extraordinary story tha...

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"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

"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.

"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