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 173 – Raphael – The Prince of Painters

Posted: May 11th, 2022

This episode examines the extraordinary career of one of the most important painters in history – Raphael Sanzio da Urbino – better known simply as “Raphael.” Along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, Raphael heralded in the period known as the High Renaissance. Combining grace, eleganc...

Episode 172 – Answers to Open Questions XII

Posted: May 4th, 2022

From unfinished church facades, to postponed Palios, to Renaissance giraffes, to Mona Lisa's smile, to the building behind the Trevi Fountain - and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you asked me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance....

Episode 171 – Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Part VI

Posted: April 27th, 2022

The prophets and sibyls that flank the main scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling are some of Michelangelo's most impressive figures. Their dramatic poses, expressive, vibrant colors and powerful forms are both inspirational and frightening. Below and between them, Michelangelo filled the spandrels ...

The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Posted: April 22nd, 2022

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is one of the most visited museums in the world, welcoming nearly 5,232,000 guests each year (though the numbers may differ now in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions). Located on Washington D.C.’s National Mall, between 3rd and 9th streets on Cons...

Episode 170 – Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Part V

Posted: April 20th, 2022

The last three Genesis scenes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling demonstrate Michelangelo's extraordinary ability to represent complex subjects in incredibly effective ways. But they also reveal the divine artist's haste to complete the ceiling project. This episode closely examines the iconography, styl...

Episode 169 – Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Part IV

Posted: April 13th, 2022

By the time Michelangelo reached the frescoes in the middle of the ceiling, he introduced a major stylistic change, due, most likely, to being able to see the frescoes from the ground. This episode examines the Adam and Eve scenes and how they reflect this stylistic change as well as revealing the m...

The Passion Plays Tradition in Europe

Posted: April 8th, 2022

by Elena Miceli 1633 Germany doesn’t seem like it would be a relatable year to someone living in 2022, but if you were told the only way to save your village from plague was to act out the Passion of Christ, both people from respective years would respond with a resounding “yes!” This i...

Episode 168 – Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Part III

Posted: April 6th, 2022

Painting an 8,000 sq. ft. fresco cycle onto the ceiling of a chapel must have been a daunting task even for an artist of the caliber of Michelangelo. This episode examines the process and order by which Michelangelo executed his frescoes, focusing specifically on the first three painted scenes that ...

Episode 167 – Rome – Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Part II

Posted: March 30th, 2022

Although the Sistine Chapel is the Catholic world's most important chapel since it hosts papal conclaves, the subject matter of the ceiling paintings is largely Old Testament mixed with pagan imagery. This episode unpacks the rich and complex iconography of the many paintings executed by Michelangel...

Episode 166 – Rome: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Part I

Posted: March 23rd, 2022

When Michelangelo signed the contract with Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. This first of several podcasts dedicated to the world's most famous ceiling will examine the circumstances behind the contract between artist and ...

Michelangelo’s Three Pietàs

Posted: March 18th, 2022

by Elena Miceli Normally when discussing an artist’s “development,” one is referring to the development of style and technique, not that of religion. A religious journey is something that is deeply personal and therefore would never be as public as a famous masterpiece. However, Michela...

Episode 165 – Rome: The Basilica of St. Peter

Posted: March 16th, 2022

After 120 years of construction, the reign of 18 different popes, and the direction of 12 different architects, St. Peter’s Basilica was finally consecrated in 1626. Measuring more than two football fields in length, it was by far the largest church in Christendom, and a fitting monument to the bu...

The Abbey of San Galgano

Posted: March 11th, 2022

Just 45km south of Siena, Italy lay the haunting remains of a 13th-century Cistercian Monastery – the Abbey of San Galgano, built in honor of the legendary Tuscan saint Galgano Guidotti. Located in a field between the towns of Chiusdino and Monticiano, the abbey’s skeletal remains are an evocati...

Episode 164 – Michelangelo and the Tomb of Julius II

Posted: March 9th, 2022

When Michelangelo was called to Rome in 1506 by the Pope Julius II, it was to design and carve the mother of all tombs. Intended to stand four stories in height and directly over the tomb of St. Peter, and to accommodate 40 over-life-sized statues, it was a direct reflection of both the pope’s meg...

The Northern Renaissance: An Instagrammer’s Nightmare

Posted: March 4th, 2022

by Elena Miceli We’re all familiar with the one major unspoken rule of Instagram; brandish only the mirage of your aesthetic, polished life. Of course, this comes with the constant pressure to show only the meticulously manicured side of living. A photo of you in sweats without ma...

Episode 163 – Venice – Titian’s “Assumption” and “Pesaro Altarpiece” in the church of the Frari

Posted: March 2nd, 2022

Titian's two great altarpieces in the great Franciscan basilica of Venice known as the "Frari" marked a turning point in the artist's career. These were his first two public commissions and allowed all of Venice to appreciate the extraordinary talent of a young artist who was still only in his twent...

Episode 162 – Titian’s “Allegory of Sacred and Profane Love”

Posted: February 23rd, 2022

This episode examines one of the milestone masterpieces of Renaissance painting. Baffling art historians for centuries as regards its iconography, the early work by Titian is one of the treasures of the Borghese Gallery. ...

Episode 161 – Venice: Giorgione’s “Tempest” and “La Vecchia”

Posted: February 16th, 2022

Notwithstanding that his life and artistic career were cut short by plague in 1510 while the artist was in his thirties, Giorgione revolutionized European painting by his introduction of enigmatic and unconventional iconography. This episode examines two of Giorgione's most important paintings, both...

Episode 160 – Venice – Vittore Carpaccio’s “The Legend of St. Ursula”

Posted: February 9th, 2022

Carpaccio's extraordinary visual narrative of the life of St. Ursula is one of the most celebrated examples of cyclical Venetian Renaissance painting. Recently restored, the nine large canvases are now on display in the Accademia Gallery of Venice and present a vivid snapshot of life in Venice at th...

The Contrade of Siena

Posted: February 4th, 2022

The Palio di Siena – an electrifying bareback horse race that takes place twice a year in the city of Siena, Italy – only lasts approximately 90 seconds. However, for the Sienese – and for their contrade – the Palio is more than just a race. It’s a way of life. There’s a...

Episode 159 – Venice: Gentile Bellini, Vittore Carpaccio and the Relic of the True Cross

Posted: February 2nd, 2022

At the end of the 15th century, large-scale-cyclical-narrative paintings became quite popular in Renaissance Venice. One of these cycles illustrates in spectacular fashion the legends of the relic of the True Cross that was owned by the Scuola Grande of St. John the Evangelist. This episode examines...

Venice, The World’s Most Unique City

Posted: January 28th, 2022

Venice is a city like no other. There are no streets, no cars: the only way to get around is by boat or vaporetto (water taxi) floating down a labyrinth of narrow canals that connect to Venice’s main thoroughfare, the aptly named Grand Canal. Called “The Floating City” or “The Quee...

Episode 158 – Venice: Giovanni Bellini’s “St. Job Altarpiece”

Posted: January 26th, 2022

This episode examines the first great Venetian painting of the Renaissance. Although the Venetian school of painting appeared almost a full century after that of Florence, the extraordinary genius of Venetian painters such as Giovanni Bellini rapidly made it the major rival of central Italian Renais...

The Mystical Nature of La Verna, Tuscany

Posted: January 21st, 2022

There is a palpable spiritual energy to remote La Verna, an isolated mountain hidden away in the Tuscan Apennines, and no wonder: it was here that St. Francis of Assisi allegedly received the stigmata in the summer of 1224. Part of the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi and covered ...

Episode 157 – Answers to Open Questions XI

Posted: January 19th, 2022

From Botticelli and the Bonfires of the Vanities, to the extraordinary collection of artists' portraits and self-portraits in the Uffizi Gallleries, to the use of AI in art authentication, to Botticelli's $92M "Portrait of a Young Man with a Medal," to the Virgin Mary's thoughts in Michelangelo's P...

Montefioralle: The Tiny Tuscan Town That Will Capture Your Heart

Posted: January 14th, 2022

Considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Montefioralle (just east of Greve in Chianti) offers the best of Tuscan wines, medieval charm, and rural beauty. Surrounded by lush vineyards, cypress trees and olive groves, Montefioralle sits at the heart ...

Episode 156 – The Divine Michelangelo Part VIII – The Doni Tondo

Posted: January 12th, 2022

This episode examines the only painting by Michelangelo in Florence, and one of only two finished paintings executed by the artist before he decorated the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In many ways the vibrant, expressive colors and sculptural plasticity of the figures in this painting anticipated ...

Fiesole: A Florentine Hilltop Treasure

Posted: January 7th, 2022

The hilltop town of Fiesole – rising 295 meters above the city of Florence – has ensnared the imaginations of writers and poets since Renaissance times. Filled with relatively undiscovered treasures, including Etruscan ruins, an ancient Roman amphitheater, beautiful churches, Renaissan...

Episode 155 – Leonardo vs. Michelangelo- The Battle of the Battles – Part II

Posted: January 5th, 2022

In 1504, Florence found its two greatest artists in the city at the same time. Not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to have them test their talents against each other, massive murals were commissioned from each in the great hall of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. This second part of a 2-part podc...

La Befana – Italy’s Christmas Witch

Posted: January 4th, 2022

According to Italian legend, on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5th), a little witch known as La Befana delivers presents and goodies to all the good children throughout Italy. She swoops down chimneys on her broomstick, and if the children have been well-behaved, she leaves present...

Episode 154 – Leonardo vs. Michelangelo- The Battle of the Battles – Part I

Posted: December 29th, 2021

Il Giorno di Santo Stefano

Posted: December 23rd, 2021

Il Giorno di Santo Stefano In Italy, St. Stephen’s Day (il Giorno di Santo Stefano) is a national public holiday. Celebrated on December 26, the day after Christmas, Italians honor the saint – the very first martyr ever recorded in Christian theology – with joyous celebrations and tim...

Episode 153 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

Posted: December 22nd, 2021

When Leonardo began painting the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the wealthy cloth merchant Francesco del Giocondo, in 1503, little did he know just how much employment he would generate for future art historians. From theories concerning her enigmatic smile, to the painting being a self-portra...

Madonnelle in Italy (Street Shrines)

Posted: December 17th, 2021

Ancient Origins Italian Madonnelle - or street shrines - can trace their origins as far back as ancient Rome. The tradition began with ancient lares (paintings or statues of domestic Roman deities) placed at crossroads (or compita) to guard passersby. Roman legend held that demons from ...

Episode 152 – The Divine Michelangelo Part VII – The David (Part III)

Posted: December 15th, 2021

This episode is the third and final part of a three-part podcast on the world's most celebrated statue. From the lack of Goliath's head, to the sling and hard-to-see stone in David's hands, to the expressive body language of the statue, this podcast will examine the unique iconography and local civi...

Christmas in Italy!

Posted: December 10th, 2021

Italy is at its most magical during the Christmas season. From the twinkling lights to the Christmas markets to roasted chestnuts and other seasonal delights, there is no better place to be than Italy during the holiday season! How Long the Celebrations Last In Italy, Christmas spirit abou...

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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