In his anticipated Curious Minds debut, world-renowned Renaissance scholar Dr. Kenneth Bartlett offers a richly illustrated survey of the great cultural flourishing that occurred on the Italian peninsula from the early 14th to 16th centuries. As he guides us through the era’s major centres of artistic and political power, he’ll examine the fierce competition that emerged among the states of Italy for the finest artists, architects, sculptors, poets, and writers of the day, resulting in a cultural tradition that still inspires us today.

Led by Dr. Kenneth Bartlett, Professor of History and Renaissance Studies at the University of Toronto. A celebrated Canadian academic, Prof. Bartlett has published numerous influential books and over 40 articles on the Renaissance, most recently “The Renaissance in Italy: A History,” and won world renown for his 5 video series for “The Great Courses.” A recipient of the prestigious 3M National Teaching fellowship among other such awards, he regularly leads tours to Italy for museums and cultural organizations. 

The six lectures in this series will all be available to stream until April 30. Once they are online, you can access each lecture at your leisure by clicking on links in your confirmation email, or by visiting your My Shows page.

Lecture 1: Florence and the Birth of the Renaissance
We begin with a discussion of what the Renaissance was and why it first became visible in Florence at the end of the thirteenth century. We’ll learn how new cultural models and a new vocabulary for secular life animated the ruling elite of the Florentine republic, institutionalizing the values of the Renaissance and making the city itself a Renaissance work of art.

Lecture 2: Rome: The Rebirth of Ancient Glory
The rebirth of classical antiquity was an essential element of Renaissance culture and nowhere was that heritage more visible than in Rome. In this lecture we will illustrate how ancient buildings were used and reused to create a Renaissance monument to the classical past, becoming sources of inspiration for Renaissance artists and architects who in turn created their own contemporary works to rival their ancient models.
 
Lecture 3: Rome and the Papacy
When the emperors of Rome gave way to popes as rulers of the eternal city, ancient structures, learning and humanist principles were used by the Roman Church to create a new imperial papacy. With the return of a single pope to Rome in 1420, Roman power and splendour were revived, reshaping the city into a cultural and political capital to rival the ancient centre of the Roman Empire.

Lecture 4: Renaissance Venice
Venice was the mediator between east and west, a fabulously wealthy maritime republic with strong local traditions. Although the Renaissance came late to the “Serene Republic”, its arrival transformed the city’s aloof character and brought Venice into the culture of the Italian mainland, leading to one of the great flowerings of Renaissance art and building.

Lecture 5: Mantua: A Living Work of Art
The small, highly cultivated courts of the princes of Renaissance Italy developed a culture all their own, using the ideals of civic humanism and art as propaganda and applying them to their own particular needs. The small city of Mantua, in northern Lombardy, is an ideal example, with a ruling family, the Gonzagas, whose army of mercenaries and patronage of art and culture created the conditions under which artistic geniuses such as Mantegna, Alberti, and Giulio Romano could flourish.

Lecture 6: Courtly Culture: Urbino
Urbino under Duke Federigo da Montefeltro was one of the most civilized places in human history. We will close our tour of Renaissance Italy with a visit to the great ducal palace within this remote city, meeting the exemplary characters who were formed by its environment and changed the nature of the Renaissance: Piero della Francesca, Raphael, and Castiglione.

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