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"

- Historywrocky

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

- Valoreev

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

- Treskovich

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Episodes

Cities Artists Theory Answers to Open Questions Interviews

Episode 144 – The Brera Gallery in Milan, Italy

Posted: October 20th, 2021

This episode explores the extraordinary collection of Italian Renaissance paintings in Milan's most important painting museum, which houses masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Tintoretto, Bellini and Mantegna. ...

Episode 143 – Salvator Mundi and Leonardo da Vinci

Posted: October 13th, 2021

This episode addresses the world's most expensive painting that sold for nearly a half billion dollars in 2017. Although the attribution to Leonardo da Vinci is not certain, the astonishing cost, murky provenance and uncertain current location of the painting have made it one of the most famous work...

Episode 142 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Sala delle Asse

Posted: October 6th, 2021

This episode examines one of the most unique decorative programs in history. A room in the Sforza Castle in Milan whose walls and vault are covered with illusionistic trees that form a natural pergola. We also discuss how Leonardo's expression of arboreal architecture has been brought back to life w...

Episode 141 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper – Part II

Posted: September 29th, 2021

This is the second of a two-part episode on Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" which is considered the first work of the High Renaissance. From the meticulously constructed linear perspective, to the theatrical gestures of the apostles, to the singular dramatic moment that Leonardo almost seemed to "...

Episode 140 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper – Part I

Posted: September 22nd, 2021

This episode will introduce Leonardo's famous work. From its location, to the rather complicated process of making arrangements to see it, to its poor state of conservation, discover the surprising reality behind one of the most famous paintings in the world. ...

Episode 139 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man

Posted: September 15th, 2021

This episode examines one of the most famous drawings in the world - Leonardo's "Vitruvian Man." From the meaning of the subject, to those artists who influenced Leonardo, to how the drawing has come to symbolize the historical period known as the Renaissance, we shall unpack the extraordinary image...

Episode 138 – Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine”

Posted: September 8th, 2021

This podcast examines one of Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated portraits, the subject of which was Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza. In this beautiful portrait, today located in Krakow, Poland, Leonardo introduced further innovations to the genre of Italian portraiture, particularly ...

Episode 137 – Leonardo da Vinci and the Bronze Horse

Posted: September 1st, 2021

Duke Ludovico Sforza’s principal motivation for bringing Leonardo to Milan was most likely Leonardo’s experience in working with bronze. The duke was hoping to apply Leonardo’s experience and talent to the realization of a colossal equestrian monument in honor of his father Francesco Sforza. T...

Episode 136 – Answers to Open Questions – Part IX

Posted: August 25th, 2021

From the disproportions in Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," to the origins of the name "Colosseum," to the original decoration on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance. ...

Episode 135 – Hugo van der Goes’ “Portinari Altarpiece” (Uffizi Gallery, Florence)

Posted: August 18th, 2021

This podcast examines the exquisite Flemish masterpiece which was painted for a prominent Italian patron. Located in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, the "Portinari Altarpiece" exhibits all those aspects typical of the early Flemish Renaissance period, but with an Italian twist to suit the p...

Episode 134 – Piero della Francesca’s “Madonna of the Egg” (Brera Gallery, Milan)

Posted: August 11th, 2021

This podcast examines one of the most important paintings of the early Renaissance: the "Madonna of the Egg" also known as the "Montefeltro" or "Brera Altarpiece" by Piero della Francesca. Painted between 1472-74, the painting was most likely commissioned to celebrate the birth of the son of the Duk...

Episode 133 – Pienza: The Ideal Renaissance Town

Posted: August 4th, 2021

In 1459, Pope Pius II transformed the provincial town of his birth, Corsignano, into an ideal Renaissance urban town and renamed it after himself - Pienza. His architect, Bernardo Rossellino, was a follower of Leon Battista Alberti, and applied both medieval and classical architectural principles to...

Episode 132 – Florence: Strozzi Palace

Posted: July 28th, 2021

This podcast explores the architecture and history of one of the largest family palaces in Florence, built for the illustrious Strozzi family. After nearly a half-century of exile for their failed attempt at exiling the Medici, the fabulously wealthy banker Filippo Strozzi was the first of his famil...

Episode 131 – Florence: Rucellai Palace

Posted: July 21st, 2021

This podcast examines the architecture, authorship, and history of one of Florence's most important early Renaissance family palaces. Perhaps the most classically inspired of the 15th-century palaces in the city, the Rucellai Palace is a true Renaissance architectural gem. ...

Episode 130 – Florence (Santa Maria Novella): The Tornabuoni Chapel Frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Posted: July 14th, 2021

This podcast examines the extraordinary early Renaissance fresco cycle in the family chapel of Giovanni Tornabuoni, who was the uncle of Lorenzo the Magnificent de' Medici. It was while Ghirlandaio was working on these frescoes in Santa Maria Novella in the 1480s that a 13-year-old apprentice named ...

Episode 129 – Leonardo da Vinci’s 2 “Virgin of the Rocks” (Paris and London)

Posted: July 7th, 2021

In 1483, the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception commissioned Leonardo da Vinci and Ambrogio and Evangelista de Predis to paint an altarpiece for their chapel in the church of San Francesco Grande in Milan. Due to controversy regarding payment to the artists, it appears that the painting was ...

Episode 128 – Answers to Open Questions – Part VIII

Posted: June 30th, 2021

From the characters in Duccio's and Leonardo's Last Suppers, to Vasari's "Lives of the Artists", to why it took so long for the Renaissance to begin, to Raphael's overactive sex life, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Ren...

Episode 127 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Resume

Posted: June 23rd, 2021

In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci sent a letter to the then regent of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, in hopes of landing the position of court artist of the duchy of Milan. This episode will examine this letter, which is essentially the resume of the great artist, and how someone like Leonardo would qualify himse...

Episode 126 – An Interview with Maurizio Seracini -“Leonardo’s Adoration of the Magi: The Rediscovery of a Masterpiece”

Posted: June 16th, 2021

For over 500 years it was believed that the brownish monochrome look of the "Adoration" was the work of Leonardo. That is, until Maurizio Seracini’s in-depth scientific analysis of 2001 proved beyond a doubt that this was not true. This podcast includes an exclusive interview with Seracini that wi...

Episode 125 – Florence: Uffizi Gallery – Leonardo da Vinci’s “Adoration of the Magi”

Posted: June 9th, 2021

In 1481, Leonardo began work on a major altarpiece for the church of San Donato a Scopeto. At the same time, he sent his resume to the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, in hopes of landing the position of court artist for that duchy. This episode examines Leonardo’s painting of the Adoration of the...

Episode 124 – Leonardo da Vinci’s “Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci” (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC)

Posted: June 2nd, 2021

This episode will examine Leonardo's groundbreaking portrait of a young Florentine woman named Ginevra de’ Benci, which is the only painting by the great Renaissance genius in the Americas. Exquisitely conserved, despite it being cut down, it is one of the earliest examples of a 3/4 frontal pose i...

Episode 123 – Florence: Uffizi Gallery – Leonardo da Vinci’s “Annunciation”

Posted: May 26th, 2021

This podcast will analyze Leonardo’s earliest known painting for the church of San Bartolomeo a Monte Oliveto, which he painted at only 20 years of age. Leonardo’s early works were clear indicators of his unique artistic vision and superlative talent. "The Annunciation" is not only stunningly be...

Episode 122 – Botticelli’s Muse – Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci

Posted: May 19th, 2021

This episode will attempt to unravel the mystery behind one of the world’s most famous paintings – the Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Was the artist's muse the legendary Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, who is still reputed to be the most beautiful woman of Renaissance Florence? Just who was this leg...

Episode 121 – History: The Pazzi Conspiracy

Posted: May 6th, 2021

On April 26, 1478, Giuliano de’ Medici lay dead on the pavement of Florence cathedral with 19 stab wounds serving as testimony to the vicious attack that he had just suffered. Had his assassins succeeded in eliminating his older brother, Lorenzo “il Magnifico” de’ Medici, that day as well, t...

Episode 120 – Rome: The Sistine Chapel before Michelangelo

Posted: May 5th, 2021

Decades before Michelangelo climbed up on the nearly 70 feet of scaffolding to adorn the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a veritable “All-Star Team” of late-15th- century artists had already decorated its walls. Artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, and Luca Si...

Episode 119 – Florence: Uffizi Gallery – Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”

Posted: April 28th, 2021

Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is one of the most celebrated paintings in the history of art. The work depicts how the Roman goddess of love, Venus, came into being. This episode will examine the style, composition and symbolism of the painting, as well as discuss those factors that give the p...

Episode 118 – Florence: Uffizi Gallery – Botticelli’s “Primavera”

Posted: April 21st, 2021

When Botticelli painted the "Primavera" in the 1470s, he opened up a veritable Pandora’s Box. No longer would Renaissance artists be limited to simply dressing Christian saints in togas and sandals, they could now gradually introduce the very literature, philosophy and religion of the ancient Grec...

Episode 117 – Answers to Open Questions – Part VII

Posted: April 14th, 2021

From the functionality of Renaissance buildings, to the anatomical details in the work of Piero della Francesca, to the religious orientation of Emperor Constantine, to the authenticity of Christian relics, this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and his...

Episode 116 – Florence: Andrea del Verrocchio – Part II

Posted: April 7th, 2021

This episode is the second part of a two-part episode about the extraordinary 15th-century Florentine artist who is best known as the master of Leonardo da Vinci. We examine Verrocchio's later sculptures such as the "Putto with a Dolphin", "Lady with a Primrose" and his "Equestrian Monument to Barto...

Episode 115 – Florence: Andrea del Verrocchio – Part I

Posted: March 31st, 2021

This first part of a two-part episode examines the art and career of the extraordinary sculptor who is best known as the master of Leonardo da Vinci. Although often overshadowed by the notoriety of his pupil, Verrocchio was one of the most significant sculptors in history. He was also one of the ...

Episode 114 – Piero della Francesca’s Flagellation in Urbino

Posted: March 24th, 2021

Kenneth Clark described Della Francesca’s painting as the “the greatest small painting in the world.” Much has been written about the enigmatic meaning of the work, including it serving as a metaphor for the fall of Constantinople. This episode examines the iconography of the famous painting a...

Episode 113 – Piero della Francesca’s Paintings in San Sepolcro and Monterchi

Posted: March 17th, 2021

This episode examines the extraordinary paintings in the second leg of the "Piero della Francesca Trail" in the Tuscan towns of San Sepolcro and Monterchi. From Piero's majestic "Madonna della Misericordia," to his iconic "Resurrection," and finally to his moving fresco of "The Madonna del Parto," l...

Episode 112 – Arezzo: The Legend of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca

Posted: March 10th, 2021

This episode examines the extraordinary fresco cycle in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo, Italy. Painted by Piero della Francesca beginning in 1452 in the high chapel of the church, the frescoes are one the most important painting cycles of the early Renaissance and one of the artist's best-k...

Episode 111 – Padua: Andrea Mantegna’s frescoes in the Church of the Eremitani

Posted: March 3rd, 2021

This episode examines Andrea Mantegna's extraordinary early frescoes in the Augustinian church of the Eremitani in Padua, Italy. Despite being largely destroyed by Allied bombs in March 1944, the paintings (which have been heavily reconstructed) are still considered some of the most important expres...

Episode 110 – Padua: Donatello’s “Gattamelata” and Statues in the Santo

Posted: February 24th, 2021

This episode explores Donatello's extraordinary artistic production during his sojourn in Padua during the 1440s. From his milestone Equestrian Monument to Gattamelata, to his refined bronze Crucifix, to his 3-dimensional sculptural sacra conversazione and complex perspectival bronze relief scu...

Episode 109 – Florence: Equestrian Frescoes of John Hawkwood and Niccolò da Tolentino in Florence Cathedral

Posted: February 17th, 2021

This episode examines the two monumental equestrian frescoes by Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno in Florence cathedral that represent two celebrated mercenary captains who had honorably served the Florentine Republic in the 14th and 15th centuries. These works represent two of the earliest Rena...

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"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

"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.