REBUILDING THE RENAISSANCE PODCAST
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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.
Episodes
Episode 48: Florence – San Miniato al Monte
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...
Episode 42: Theory – Bronze Sculpture
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 ...
Episode 37 – Florence: Santa Maria Novella – The Spanish Chapel – Part II
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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
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
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
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 24: Siena – The Palazzo Pubblico and Piazza del Campo
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 22: Siena – Siena Cathedral
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
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...
