HST 307 History of the Renaissance and Reformation
Though challenged by many historians who see precedents in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance remains fixed as a time of re-birth after the Medieval era. Amidst a terribly violent political scene arose an enormous flowering of humanistic study, art, religious celebration and corruption, important scientific discoveries, and civic glorification. These developments were presided over by powerful leaders, including princes and the “imperial popes,” who engaged in ruthless competition (virtually eliminating all popularly elected government). The short-term result was incredible cultural development and while the long-term result was the decline of Italy and the protestant reformation. In this course we will examine both the great and the small in Renaissance culture by exploring the city credited with giving birth to the Renaissance itself. Few places illustrate both the fabulous and the regrettable in Renaissance culture, and it is a perfect location for assessing why the protestant Reformation took place. The objectives of this course are to give the student familiarity with Renaissance and Reformation history, to help students integrate historical study and the marvelous riches of Florence, and to give students experience in understanding how the past and present interact via a living, historical city.
Required Books:
Christopher Hibbert, The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall
(Perennial, 1974)
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (Oxford, 2000)
Paul Robert Walker, The Feud that Sparked the Reniassance: How Brunelleschi
and Ghiberti Changed the Art World (Perennial, 2003)
Course Requirements: This course requires a number of readings, student journals, and essays. Discussion and writing are both important. Attendance is required. Each unexcused absence will result in a drop of one full grade level from your final grade.
Discussion will be worth 30% of your grade so make sure you keep up with the readings.
Essays and Journals: The Trip Journal will be worth 20% of your grade: You are required to do three things in your trip journal. First, once you have done the readings before each class write two or three paragraphs summarizing the most important themes of the text books and the primary source readings. I have provided a number of questions to think about for each class period. Second, nearly every class and each day trip will provide you with some concrete settings or exhibits relating to the topics for the class period. After class write two or three paragraphs connecting what we did with what you read -- how did they relate to one another? how did the site help you get more out of the readings? Third, at the end of each unit I will give you an essay exam. The essays will be based on discussion, the sites, and the readings. You will write your essays separately from your journal so I can grade them when they are complete. The essays will be worth 50% of your grade. Use the topics we discussed in class as well as the questions in this syllabus to give you ideas. In your essays you should formulate a thesis, craft an argument in response to the question, use select quotations, summaries, and allusions from the readings to illustrate your points and to provide evidence for your claims. Cite all quotations, summaries, and allusions using the author's last name and, where possible, page numbers of the texts.
I will collect trip journals right before the 3 day weekend and at the end of the session. Do not take the journal assignment lightly. 20% of your grade will be determined by what you do in the journal and I want to see more than cursory summary. You will be graded based on your demonstration that you have done the readings, that you have THOUGHT about the materials and the sites we visit, and that you have done some critical thinking about the topics we have discussed in class. We will all be spending time together and talking, but the journals and essays are INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS NOT GROUP WORK.
Schedule and Readings:
Week 1 5/24-5/28
Arrive in Florence having read and done the following (but
skim it again before class!!):
Hibbert, 1-53;
Walker, Preface and 1-108
Dovanzatti Tower; Santa Maria Novella; Baptistery; Bargello
Write down some ideas on the following: What was the Renaissance? and in what ways is Florence a good example of a Renaissance city?
Hibbert, 54-98; Walker, 109-227
Vasari (1511-1574) on Brunelleschi (also here: Vasari, Lives
of the Artists)
The Duomo
How did the world of artisans and guilds produce "the artist" as an important figure? Why does Walker give so much credit to Brunelleschi and Ghiberti? How have your first experiences of Florence broadened/changed your idea of the Renaissance?
Essay 1 is due.
Week 2 5/31-6/4 Renaissance society
6/3: Trip to Siena and San Gemignano
Hibbert, 101-143
St. Bernardino, Two Sermons on Wives and
Widows, 1427 (also here: Bernardino of
Siena: Sermons
on Wives and Widows)
Witchcraft Documents (also here: Witchcraft
Documents)
Pizan, from City of Ladies
Palazzo Vecchio?
What were the main social groups during the Renaissance? What do the readings tell you about relations between men and women? Between the social orders? How did Renaissance society differ from how you see society today? How was it similar?
Hibbert, 144-174
Machiavelli on Lorenzo de Medici (also here: History
of Florence: Lorence de' Medici)
Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492), Advice to a
Cardinal, c. 1491 (also here: Paternal
Advice to A Cardinal)
Vasari on Donatello,
Leonardo da
Vinci, and
Michelangelo (also here: Lives
of the Artists)
Santa Croce? Uffizi
How does Hibbert characterize the Medici attempt at gaining more power? How does Machiavelli describe Lorenzo's rule? Does Hibbert agree? What do you think of the Medici rule? In all areas of human cultural production -- painting, sculpture, poetry, prose, architecture, theater -- Renaissance artists excelled. In what ways do the artists describe their work? How was art funded? What relationship do you think existed between the power politics of the day and the development of the "genius" notion or art in general? What did patrons gain from patronizing art?
Week 3 6/7-6/10 Gender and Power
6/10: Trip to Verona
Hibbert, Part 3
Machiavelli (1469-1527), from The Prince, 1513 (also here: The
Prince)
Martin Luther (1483-1546), 95
Theses, 1517 (also here: 95
Theses)
Shakespeare, Intro. (1-61) and the play Romeo and Juliet
Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens
What was the power structure in Renaissance society? What was "politics" like? How did "the state" function? What kinds of governments or states do the readings present? How did nobility play a role? Outside of the nobility what role did other groups play? The Renaissance papacy was renowned for both it's splendor and its increasing secularization and corruption. In what ways do you see these themes in the readings?
Turn in journals. Essay 2 is due.
Week 4 6/14-6/16 Culture
Hibbert, 261-274
Palazzo Pitti/Boboli Gardens
What did it mean to be Grand Duke of Tuscany? Why did Cosimo desire this title? In what ways did he transform Florence? Was he a good ruler (why/why not)?
Hibbert, 275-311
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Letter to the Grand Duchess
Christina, 1615 (also
here: Galilei : Letter
to the Duchess Christina of Tuscany)
History of Science Museum
The wealth, political instability, and corruption of the Church led to a crisis of authority in every sphere of society -- politics, knowledge, and religion -- that lasted from the 1510s until the 1680s. For nearly a century Europe was plunged into a series of religious wars. What kinds of developments took place in learning and natural philosophy ("science")? How do the readings reveal challenges to accepted knowledge? How do they reflect the crisis of authority? Why would scientific method help resolve some of the issues of the day?
Turn in journals. Essay 3 is due on the day of finals (4/17).