Schedule

WEEK 1 

– Lecture 1 – Rome: Caput Mundi

The ancient Romans referred to their city as the “caput mundi”, or the “capital of the world”. Stretching as far west as the Atlantic Ocean, as far south as the Sahara, north to modern-day Scotland, and east to the Euphrates River, the Roman Empire encompassed nearly half of the known world. The ancient monuments of Rome still stand as testimony to the former power of the city. We shall examine these monuments firsthand and stand in the shadow of one of the most extraordinary ensembles of monumental architecture in history.

– Lecture 2 – Ravenna: The Sparkling Byzantine City

This lecture will explore the fascinating history of Ravenna, Italy. A history that is shaped the city’s most recognizable artistic marvels – its glorious mosaics. No medium better embodies the glory and mystery of the Byzantine Empire than does this painstaking technique of inserting tiny-colored-glass tiles—or tesserae—into wet plaster to produce figurative and decorative imagery. In fact, the basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna houses the world’s most famous mosaic depicting the Empress Theodora.

WEEK 2

– Lecture 3 – Assisi: Medieval Mysticism

This exquisite medieval Umbrian hill town was the birthplace of St. Francis. To honor St. Francis, a basilica was built in his honor to serve as his burial place and the greatest artists of Europe converged upon Assisi to decorate it. This lecture will examine the beautiful art and architecture of this splendid church, which was created by artists such as Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti.

– Lecture 4 – Siena: City of the Virgin Mary

In the first half of the 14th century, the city of Siena was Florence’s main political, economic, and artistic rival. Artists such as Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio Lorenzetti were members of one of Europe’s most important schools of painting. This lecture will examine the art, architecture, and history of Siena to understand the city’s unique beauty as well as its rivalry with Florence. We shall discuss the striking Gothic cathedral of Siena and examine the various artistic works which adorned it. We shall also examine the Palazzo Pubblico, which has served as the political nerve center of the city for seven centuries, as well as the Piazza del Campo, which has been described as the most beautiful piazza in Italy.

WEEK 3

– Lecture 5 – Florence: The Rise of the City State

The political transformation of Florence from an oligarchy into a self-governing republic at the end of the 13th century was accompanied by an extraordinary urban renewal program within the city. This lecture will examine those monuments that were part of this sweeping building campaign such as Florence cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio and the churches of Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and Orsanmichele.

– Lecture 6 – Urbino: The Renaissance Court

Duke Federico da Montefeltro transformed the town of Urbino in the Marches into an ideal Renaissance court. Not only did he commission works by artists of the caliber of Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Francesco di Giorgio and Leon Battista Alberti, the duke also assembled one of Europe’s top classical libraries. No wonder that Baldassare Castiglione would later choose Urbino as the setting of his book on the ideal courtier. This lecture will explore the extraordinary art and architecture of this idyllic ducal town that was produced under the patronage of the celebrated condottiere.

WEEK 4

– Lecture 7 – Mantua: Princes and Painters

The northern Italian city of Mantua was a thriving artistic center during the Renaissance, when the city was ruled over by the Gonzaga family. Not only were the Gonzaga great lords, but also great patrons of the arts. They brought great artists such as Andrea Mantegna, Leon Battista Alberti and Giulio Romano to Mantua as they sought to transform the medieval city into a leading Renaissance court. This lecture will examine the extraordinary art, architecture, and history of this magnificent northern Italian Renaissance city.

– Lecture 8 – Milan: Leonardo da Vinci and The Sforza Court 

Seeking to soften the militant and belligerent reputation of the Lombard capital city, Duke Ludovico “the Moor” Sforza sought the services of an extraordinary artist and inventor from Florence by the name of Leonardo da Vinci.   The artist’s arrival in Milan in 1481 marked a turning point in Milan’s history, introducing the Renaissance to the great northern city. The 18 years that Leonardo spent in Milan were some of his most productive, and this lecture examines those works produced while Leonardo was in Milan including the Virgin of the Rocks, the Vitruvian Man, the Lady with an Ermine, and, of course, the Last Supper.

WEEK 5

– Lecture 9 – Florence: The Art of Magnificence

Renaissance Florence was the birthplace of the modern world and is home to many of its greatest artistic treasures. Florentine artists such as Brunelleschi, Leonardo, and Michelangelo revolutionized art and architecture, and families like the Medici dominated European finance and politics. This lecture will examine the art and architecture of the 15th and early 16th centuries to discover how this city invented the art of magnificence.

– Lecture 10 – Venice: The Most Serene Republic

Venice was the longest lasting Republic in history. The city’s privileged position as cultural and economic bridge between the Eastern and Western Christian world contribute to the uniqueness of Venice. The art and architecture in Venice clearly display this combination of Islamic, Byzantine, and Classical influences, while Venetian painting was perhaps the only school to rival that of Florence and Rome. This lecture will examine the buildings and paintings of Venice, and the history of perhaps the most singular city in the world.

WEEK 6

-Lecture 11 – Parma – Correggio and Northern Italian Renaissance Painting

There is much, much more to Parma than its culinary traditions. Parma is also home to some of the world’s greatest art treasures. Its twelfth-century cathedral is breathtaking, and its unique multi-tiered baptistery is one of the icons of Italian Romanesque architecture. But the artist who put Parma on the artistic map was the painter known as Correggio (1489-1534). Although Correggio is not as well-known as Florentine rock-star artists such as Leonardo, Botticelli and Michelangelo, amongst Renaissance connoisseurs he is considered a giant. This lecture will examine the unique combination of northern Italian medieval and Renaissance art and architecture that make Parma an artistic treasure.

– Lecture 12 – Rome: A City fit for a Pope

With the return of the Papacy to Rome in the late 14th century, the city began a long process of recovery from the collapse of the Roman Empire, which occurred a millennium earlier.  The pope would assert his role not only as the spiritual, but also as the earthly leader of the Latin Christian world.   During the Renaissance, popes would begin to emulate the emperors of Antiquity and began to appropriate much of their artistic language. With the reconstruction of St. Peter’s and the Vatican Palace, the pope now also had an appropriate seat from which to rule as the “Father of Kings”. This lecture will examine the major works of the Vatican collection including the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Stanze and the Roman Antiquities. We shall also discuss the architecture and construction history of the most important church in the Catholic world – Saint Peter’s Basilica.