The Renaissance in Italy: A History
Product ID: 167661776
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The Italian Renaissance has come to occupy an almost mythical place in the popular imagination. The outsized reputations of the best-known figures from the period—Michelangelo, Niccolo Machiavelli, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pope Julius II, Isabella d'Este, and so many others—engender a kind of wonder. How could so many geniuses or exceptional characters be produced by one small territory near the extreme south of Europe at a moment when much of the rest of the continent still labored under the restrictions of the Middle Ages? How did so many of the driving principles behind Western civilization emerge during this period—and how were they defined and developed? And why is it that geniuses such as Leonardo, Raphael, Petrarch, Brunelleschi, Bramante, and Palladio all sustain their towering authority to this day? To answer these questions, Kenneth Bartlett delves into the lives and works of the artists, patrons, and intellectuals—the privileged, educated, influential elites—who created a rarefied world of power, money, and sophisticated talent in which individual curiosity and skill were prized above all else. The result is a dynamic, highly readable, copiously illustrated history of the Renaissance in Italy—and of the artists that gave birth to some of the most enduring ideas and artifacts of Western civilization. Review: Liked it a lot - Extremely good introduction to the Italian Renaissance. Great footnotes for further research and a complete bibliography. Review: Rewarding - Beautifully written. The Renaissance comes to life through the lives of key figures in Italian city states. I really wished I had read this for my last trip to Italy.
| Best Sellers Rank | #892,905 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #749 in Italian History (Books) #1,105 in European History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 139 Reviews |
M**.
Liked it a lot
Extremely good introduction to the Italian Renaissance. Great footnotes for further research and a complete bibliography.
J**7
Rewarding
Beautifully written. The Renaissance comes to life through the lives of key figures in Italian city states. I really wished I had read this for my last trip to Italy.
S**E
good material but: too much personal opinion mixed in
Overall, this is a good book, and I would recommend it. I come from a POV of already having studied a lot of the material in other formats. I am still encountering new information, new insights, and the overall writing is exceptionally pleasant and easy to follow. However, I would ding it a star for this: Profs. Bartlett & Bartlett inject way too much personal opinion into the narrative. As you read along, it's fact-fact-fact-opinion, pattern repeats. A brief example, from p. 63: "Pope Sixtux IV was in many ways a truly great successor to St. Peter". This is highly opinionated, and not academically helpful.
P**A
Compelling account of the humanistic forces of the 14th and 15th century in their political context
This is a wonderfully well-organized and beautifully written survey of the manner in which humanistic values of the various courts of 14th and 15th century Italy were institutionalized and expressed. The author takes up the constituencies in turn--the papacy, the city-states, the duchies, the Holy Roman Empire, the French and Spanish crowns--and traces their political trajectories and entanglements one with another, revealing the degree to which these players were both related and divided by blood, marriage, negotiated interests and treachery. The narrative is detailed but never dull or tedious, because the author connects undercurrents and relationships among key figures and their families that supply motives and propel the narrative forward. All the major players are evaluated in terms of their realization of the humanistic values as derived from the ancients and articulated by Petrarch.
A**N
fascinating history
I happen to be addicted to reading history. This was a great book.
S**K
A Terrific Political History of the Renaissance
More than any other book I’ve read about the Renaissance, this one captures its political history and gives context and continuity to its importance. This is not a book to read for an exposition of Renaissance art. Art is used— wisely and cleverly, but not to excess (compare to Will Durant, for example, where the art is in my opinion the centerpiece and requires—assumes— great familiarity with the artists of the period) to illustrate what in fact occurred during the Renaissance and where.
P**E
Excellent overview of Italian Renaissance
Very fine introduction to the complex interplay between important developments in art and architecture and the culture/politics of the various Italian city-states. Interesting how much the cities differed from one another -- and the author explicates specific examples of representative art from each. The author also provides useful footnotes pointing to more specialized studies available to interested readers.
J**.
Excellent
Great history book
P**1
Great story telling
Excellent narrative, it takes you through the main places of the italian renaissance: Florence, Milan, Venice, Neaples and Rome combined with an easy to follow timeline. Definitely a must read if you want to learn about this time in history
S**E
Best choice on the subject of the Renaissance
One of the best books written on the Renaissance. Not just content, but style, selection principles, great layout. I highly recommend this author on the Renaissance, excellent course book or for personal interest.
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