Renaissance Rome, 1450-1600

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Rome's reputation as an eternal city was not an inevitable development: it emerged as a carefully cultivated ideal in the fifteenth century. This course traces the swift transformation of Rome from a medieval city to a modern European capital through an inspired campaign to cultivate its unique engagement with its ancient past, its fundamental association with the papacy, and its growing attraction as an artistic and cultural center of truly global reach. The early modern city is best known for its imposing ruins and its great monuments of art and architecture, but we can also learn a great deal about daily life at a crucial moment in the history one of the world's most significant cities.