The Renaissance City and the Natural World: Architectural History and the Environmental Humanities

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Conversations about environmental disaster, sustainability, and resilience that are everywhere in our news feeds today also shaped the buildings and cities from the Renaissance period in profound ways. How was nature conceptualized in the early modern world? And how did architects, engineers, and city-planners confront environmental forces like floods, earthquakes, and viral plagues? With a focus on Italy, this elective course explores how cities like Rome, Florence, Ferrara, and Venice historically dealt with its natural environments. We will begin by asking how "nature" was understood in the Renaissance period in relation to art and architectural history. Looking at primary sources like period texts, drawings, prints, buildings, and cities, we will trace themes like sustainability, environmental justice, and resource management. The goal for this course is to provide a framework for understanding how early modern societies faced environmental stresses, managed their natural resources, and addressed issues like sustainability.