The Renaissance

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

The subject of this course is the European Renaissance, with particular emphasis on the Italian Renaissance. We will study the political, economic, religious and social conditions of the Italian world in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, and how they affected and responded to the cultural, intellectual, and artistic developments that are usually understood to form what we call the Renaissance. We will also examine how Italian developments were transmitted to other parts of Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. One of our main themes will be how cultural and intellectual developments interacted with other elements of a society’s life. The course aims thus to help us examine a complex period of history; to lead us to reflect on the varied links between different elements of a highly dynamic society; and to allow students to further their understanding of historical thinking and analysis. The latter goal will especially be the focus both of our readings and of the writing assignments. The readings will consist of primary sources, works of many genres and origins, and we will examine how different types of sources shed light on various elements of the past. Writing assignments will push students to develop their critical reading, writing, and analytical skills. While lectures will constitute a significant part of class time, there will also be regular discussions, and a final examination.