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TRENT UNIVERSITY
HISTORY 4500Y WEB
Fall 2015-Winter 2016
Renaissance Lives, 1350-1600
Prof. Ivana Elbl
Office:
Lady Eaton College, S114
Phone:
705-748-1011, ext. 7833 (Office);
Preferred: 705- 876-1358 (Home Office)
E-Mail: [email protected]; Fax: 876-8904
Academic Administrative Assistant:
Trisha Gayle Pearce
Office:
LEC, S 101.3
Phone:
748-1011, ext. 7706
E-mail: [email protected]
Fall Term In-Person Office Hours: Mondays 12-12.50 and Monday, 19-19.50 (no appointment necessary).
and Wednesday 11.30-12.30 by appointment only.
Winter Term In-Person Office Hours: Tuesday 12.14.50 (no appointment necessary) and Wednesday 11.3012.30 by appointment only.
Work with the Instructor: Students will be expected to work closely with the instructor. Consultations
will largely take place by e-mail or by phone but students are most welcome to drop in in my office
hours or arrange an in-person office appointments.
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COURSE GOALS AND OUTCOME
The course examines the lives of individuals and families, both famous and ordinary, striving
to make their way in the turbulence of the Renaissance period, shaped both by remarkable
human achievements and creativity and by never-ending turmoil caused by climate change,
epidemics, economic problems, wars, social conflicts, and religious crises.
It hopes to contribute to the students' intellectual development and to develop their ability to
link individual lives with complex historical issues both in time and space, and put them in the
requisite context. Aimed at nurturing both history-specific abilities and transferrable general
skills, the course requirements foster and hone students’ capacity to design and conduct a
major research project, enhance their critical thinking, ability at historiographical analysis,
application of theory, and the facility to communicate concisely and effectively both verbally
and in writing.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
Course Structure:
The course is organized into seven Units (two to five weeks each).
The first unit introduces concepts and problems associated with individual-based
approaches to history. The second unit presents key features and issues of the
Renaissance, and of Renaissance societies as shapers of individuals. The third unit deals
with different forms of power, coercion, and violence. The fourth unit involves Renaissance
culture, and the extraordinary men and women whose creativity and ability to innovate made
it possible. The fifth unit zooms in on the rise and fall of the Medici Florence as the centre of
the Renaissance and the historical figures central to this development. The sixth unit looks at
the lives and agency of elite women, focusing on the remarkable figure of Felice della Rovere,
daughter of Pope Julius II. The seventh unit addresses the way in which religion affected the
lives of individuals, from the crisis of the Church, the attempts at reform, the need personal
faith and religiosity, religious hostilities and accommodations, and the eventually re-imposition
of ideological doctrine and authority, which ultimately stifled the Renaissance.
Each Unit will generate weekly on-line discussions, and students will be able to choose six
of them to write mini-essays, each one in response to one of the Unit Questions.
In addition to the on-line discussions and unit mini-essays, the students will also do a
“Renaissance Artist” Project (see below). Finally, they will have two options in terms of
major assignments, choosing either 1) “Shared Humanity” Journal and Short Research
Essay or 2) Major Research Paper. The first option is designed for those who prefer shorter,
more structured assignments; the second for those interested in a major project, for example
in preparation for graduate studies.
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Evaluation:
1. On-line Discussions
2. Six Unit Mini-Essays
3. “Renaissance Artist” Project
and
4.1 Option 1:
Shared Humanity Journal
+
Short Research Essay
or
4.2 Option 2:
Major Research Paper
Proposal:
10%
First Draft:
10%
Research Paper
20%
20%
30%
10%
20%
20%
40%
The mid-year mark (Dec. 30) will constitute 45% of the final grade, regardless of option selected: Fall on-line
discussions (10%); 3 Fall-term Unit mini-essays (15%); “Renaissance Artist” Project (10%),Fall Shared Humanity
Journal (10%) or Major Research Paper Proposal (10%),
Deadlines:
Fall Term:
Option Selection:
Option 2: Major Research Paper Question Selection:
Unit Mini-Essay 1 (Unit 1):
Unit Mini-Essay 2 (Unit 2 or 3):
“Renaissance Artist” Project
Unit Mini-Essay 3 (Unit 4):
Option 1: Fall Term Shared Humanity Journal :
Option 2: Major Research Paper Proposal:
September 16
September 30
October 7
November 18
December 2
December 16
December 22
December 22
Winter Term:
Option 1: Short Research Essay Question Selection:
Unit Mini-Essay 4 (Unit 5):
Option 2: Major Research Paper First Draft
Option 1: Short Research Essay First Draft (Option.)
Unit Mini-Essay 5 (Unit 6):
Option 1: Short Research Essay, Final Version:
Option 2: Major Research Paper, Final Version:
Unit Mini-Essays 6 (Unit 7):
Option 1: Winter Term Shared-Humanity Journal:
January 12
February 23
March 1
March 8
March 15
March 29
March 29
April 5
April 5
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Submissions:
All assignments should be submitted on the due day, at 11.59PM. Being late for a good
reason is not a capital sin. Extensions up to a week are possible. Make sure you ask for one if
necessary. However: 1) Extensions longer than a week will be granted only on very serious
grounds and will require documentation; 2) Late submissions for which extension was not
granted or which abuse the extension privilege will see a deduction of 5% per day.
All assignments should be submitted as Blackboard Learn attachments, using MS Word
(.doc, or .docx), Wordperfect (.wpd), Open Office (.odt) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Assignments
written in Microsoft Works (.wps) or Mac (pages) are not compatible and will not be accepted.
Comments and marks will also be available on Blackboard Learn.
Note: Mini-essays will be excerpted by the instructor and published, anonymously, on
Blackboard Learn Discussion Board, to stimulate debate.
All discussion contributions should be submitted on the Blackboard Lean Discussion Board.
Please do not email your work, except in an emergency.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Readings: As fourth-year students, you are expected to read c. 100 pages per week. This
does not mean that you need to read all of them in the same detail. Start most units with the
mini-biographies from Renaissance People and/or the short introductory chapters from Guido
Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance. Read the longer readings for
patterns, rather than details.
On-line Discussions: All students should participate in the weekly forums on the BL
Discussion Board. They should participate even if they did not complete all the readings.
Debate propositions to take a position on will be posted each week. Plan to contribute at least
75 words per week (more is welcome, of course). Students will be able to create their own
discussion threads.
Unit Mini-Essays: The six mini-essays – three per term – Units 1-4 (Fall Term) and 5-8
(Winter Term)--will address one of the Unit Questions listed in the syllabus under that
particular unit. Each should be about 750 words long (plus basic footnotes), offer an argument
on the question, and be clearly structured into an introduction, discussion, and conclusion.
The mini-essays are to be based on the readings – no additional research is required – but
they need to reflect knowledge of those course readings. Each mini-essay is worth 5% of the
final grade, to a total of 30%. Due: See “Deadlines” above.
“Renaissance Artist” Project: The objective of this project is create a biographical sketch of
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one of the artists listed under Unit 4 Week 2, capturing the role of the changing circumstances
of the artist's life on her or his work, in the manner of “new biography” (see Unit 1 Week 3).
The sketch can either take the form of an essay or of a Powerpoint presentation accompanied
by text. It should include a critique of the biographical sketch in Davis and Lindsmith's
Renaissance People, and be based on basic additional on-line research (source-documented
websites are allowed). The assignment should be c. 1,500 words or 15 Powerpoint slides long
and clearly documented (with footnotes and captions). Due: Dec. 2
Option 1: “Shared Humanity” Journal + Short Research Essay
“Shared Humanity” Journal should include weekly entries of c. 250 words, tracking the
student's reactions to the lives and episodes covered in the readings, with regard to
behaviours, emotions, values, and attitudes that s/he can identify with or has
difficulty with, that provoke either admiration or negativity, with a careful explanation of
the reasons for the reactions. At the end of each term, the Journal should sum up the
most important points as to what of relevance has be learned from the lives studied in
the Units covered. – We share humanity with the people of the past – please treat
them with respect and strive to understand them. Due: Dec. 22 and Apr.5.
Short Research Essay
Research Question Selection: Submit a list of your three top choices from the list
posted on Blackboard Learn or propose your own research question, by Jan. 12.
will then review your submissions and assign you a research question, by Jan.15. You
have to write on the assigned question, unless I agree to change it.
Short Research Essay Requirements:
a) Length: The paper must be 3,000 words long (in addition to bibliography). The
bibliography is not included in the word count.
b) Approach and Structure: The paper must be analytical (as opposed to
descriptive), organized clearly into an introduction, discussion, and conclusion. It must
be written in full sentences and contain proper transitions.
c) Introduction: The paper must contain a clear introduction stating the
hypothesis/argument about the research question and end with a clearly stated
thesis/answer to the research question.
e) Research support: at least 15 directly relevant scholarly works (books,
chapters in collected volumes, articles in scholarly journals), in addition to readings and
primary sources accompanying the assigned research question. Each work listed in the
bibliography must appear in the notes at least once, to document its use.
e) Writing and Presentation: The paper should be well written (style, grammar,
spelling) and well presented.
f) Historiography: The paper must contain a critique of the representative
secondary literature (historiography),
g) Primary Sources: The paper should include work with primary sources, unless
otherwise agreed.
h) Evidence and Interpretation: The argument must be rigorously supported by
evidence and avoid speculation, overstatement, over-generalization, and failure to
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interpret the evidence presented.
I) Documentation: The paper must be properly supported by documentation, including
footnotes and a complete bibliography. The documentation must comply with the
Chicago Manual of Style, Footnotes and Bibliography Format.
See http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation/chicago.php.
Short Research Essay, First Draft (Optional):
The draft must constitute a full research essay, both in content and form. It will receive
a mark as if it were the final version, to be later substituted by the final version mark (or
the higher of the two, in the unlikely case that the final version is marked lower than the
first one).
You are not required to submit the first draft and may proceed directly to the final
version. There is no need to inform me of you choice – if the first draft is not submitted
by the deadline, I will assume you not submitting it. Due: March 8.
Short Research Essay, Final Version: The final version should address the
Requirements listed above. If it was preceded by a first draft, it should address the
suggestions and criticism raised in my comments. If you do not to submit the final draft
but have submitted the first draft the mark on the first draft will stand for both.
Due: Mar. 29.
Option 2: Major Research Paper
‘Research Question Selection: Submit up to three choices from the list of research
paper questions posted on Blackboard Learn, or propose a research question (or
alternative research questions) you would want to address in your research paper.
Due: Sep 30.
‘I will then review the submissions and assign you a research question by Oct. 3
You have to write on the assigned question, unless I agree to change it.
Research Paper Proposal:
The outline takes the form of an expanded proposal, based on the assumption that c.
40% of the research requirements have been completed, enough to support the
following requirements:
a) Hypothesis (Preliminary Argument) on the assigned research question and a
justification/explanation of the argument.
b) Outline of the structure of the paper, as dictated by the hypothesis.
c) Comments and questions regarding the Requirements in the context of your specific
project, highlighting any problems or issues.
d) Full research bibliography
Due: Dec. 22
Research Paper Requirements:
a) Length: The paper must be at least 7,000 words long (in addition to
bibliography).The bibliography is not included in the word count.
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b) Approach and Structure: The paper must be analytical (as opposed to
descriptive), organized clearly into an introduction, discussion, and conclusion. It must
be written in full sentences and contain proper transitions.
c) Introduction: The paper must contain a clear introduction stating the
hypothesis/argument about the research question and end with a clearly stated
thesis/answer to the research question.
e) Research support: at least 25 directly relevant scholarly works (books,
chapters in collected volumes, articles in scholarly journals), in addition to readings
and primary sources accompanying the assigned research question. Each work listed
in the bibliography must appear in the notes at least once, to document its use.
e) Writing and Presentation: The paper should be well written (style, grammar,
spelling) and well presented.
f) Historiography: The paper must contain a representative critique of the
representative secondary literature (historiography),
g) Primary Sources: The paper should include work with primary sources, unless
otherwise agreed.
h) Evidence and Interpretation: The argument must be rigorously supported by
evidence and avoid speculation, overstatement, over-generalization, and failure to
interpret the evidence presented.
I) Documentation: The paper must be properly supported by documentation, including
footnotes and a complete bibliography. The documentation must comply with the
Chicago Manual of Style, Footnotes and Bibliography Format.
See http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation/chicago.php.
Major Research Paper, First Draft: The draft must constitute a full research paper,
both in content and form. It will receive a mark as if it were the final version. Due: Mar.
1
‘Major Research Paper - Final Version: The final version should address the
Requirements listed above. If it was preceded by a first draft, it should address the
suggestions and criticism raised in my comments. If you do not to submit a final draft
but have submitted the first draft the mark on the first draft will stand for both. Due:
Mar. 29.
TEXTS
Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 2007) (e-book, available through TOPCAT; also available in hard-copy through
Amazon.ca or other on-line booksellers).
Robert C. Davis and Beth Lindsmith, Renaissance People. Lives that Shaped the Modern
Age (Los Angeles; The Paul Getty Museum, 2011). Available through the Bookstore.
All other readings are available on-line, through TOPCAT, either as e-books or, in case of
articles, though the periodicals in which they they were published (search on journal titles, eg.
American Historical Review).
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UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an extremely serious academic
offence and carries penalties varying from a 0 grade on an assignment to expulsion from the
University. Definitions, penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are set
out in Trent University’s Academic Integrity Policy. You have a responsibility to educate yourself –
unfamiliarity with the policy is not an excuse. You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent’s Academic
Integrity website to learn more: www.trentu.ca/academicintegrity.
Access to Instruction:
It is Trent University's intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a student has a
disability and/or health consideration and feels that he/she may need accommodations to succeed
in this course, the student should contact the Student Accessibility Services (BH Suite 132, 7481281, [email protected]) as soon as possible. Complete text can be found under
Access to Instruction in the Academic Calendar.
Note: Teaching Evaluations will be available on-line, through BL.
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FALL TERM
Unit 1
(September 10-30)
One Person at a Time:
The Advantages and Challenges of an Individual-based Approach to History
Unit Questions:
1. Biographies continue to attract considerable interest, especially from general
readership. Why?
2. Individual-based approaches to history offer considerable advantages for representing
the past but also present great challenges. Why?
3. Biographies have been viewed askance by modern historians. Why? Is “new
biography” the solution to this problem?
Week 1.1 (Sep. 10-16):
Kings and Queens: The Fascination with Lives on the High
Readings:
Eric Ives, “Will the Real Henry VIII Please Stand Up? History Today 56 (2006): 29-36.
Suzannah Lipscomb, “Who Was Henry and When Did It All Go Wrong?” History Today 59 4
(2009): 14-20.
Moshe Sluhovsky, “History as Voyerism: from Marguerite de Valois to La Reine Margot.”
Rethinking History 4 2 (2000): 193-210.
Elizabeth W. Marvick, “Psychobiography and the Early Modern French Court: Notes on Method
with Some Examples,” French Historical Studies 19 4 (1996): 943-66.
Week 1.2 (Sep. 17-23): Reconstructing Ordinary Lives: The Troublesome Martin
Guerre
Readings:
Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre (read on-line [google “return Martin Guerre
full text”]; or watch the movie [for example] on U-Tube).
Rober Finlay, “The Refashioning of Martin Guerre,” American Historical Review 93 3 (1988):
552-572.
Natalie Zemon Davis, “ 'On the Lame',” American Historical Review 93 3 (1988): 572-604.
Lionel Gossman, “Anecdote and History,” History and Theory 42 2 (2003): 143-68.
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Week 1.3 (Sep. 24-30):
“Lives and Times”: The Problems of the Individual-Centered Approach to
History.
Readings:
Robert C. Davis and Beth Londsmith, Renaissance People. Lives that Shaped the Modern Age
(Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011; London: Thames & Hudson, 2011), 9-15;48-51,
91-93, 136-9, 189-91, 239-41, 279-81.
David Nasaw, “Introduction,” AHR Roundtable. Historians and Biography.” American Historical
Review 114 3 (2009): 573-8.
Lois W. Banner, “Biography as History,” American Historical Review 114 3 (2009): 579-86.
Michael Prestwich, “Medieval Biography,” Journal of Interdiciplinary History 40 3 (2010): 325-45.
Robin Fleming, “Writing Biography at the Edge of History,” American Historical Review 114 3
(2009): 606-614.
Unit 2
October 1-21
Renaissance(s) and Renaissance Lives in Context
Unit Questions:
1. Renaissance individuals were constrained by a number of factors. What were the
most important ones, and why?
2. How did class and gender shape individuals in the course of their lives?
3. What situations and factors shaped Baldassare Castiglione over the course of his
life?
Week 2.1 (Oct. 1-7):
The Renaissance and Renaissance Individual: When, Where, Why?
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Baldassare Castiglione, 1476-1529. The Perfect Courtier,” in
Renaissance People, 179-81.
Guido Ruggiero, “Introduction,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of
the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 1-10. 10 p.
Gene Brucker, “The Italian Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2002, 2007 [e-book
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edition]), 23-38. 15 p.
Peter Burke, “The Historical Geography of the Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2002, 2007 [e-book edition]), 88-104. 16 p.
John Jeffries Martin, “The Myth of Renaissance Individualism,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 208-224. 16 p.
Peter Burke, “Representation of the Self from Petrarch to Descartes,” Chapter 1 in Roy
Porter, ed., Rewriting the Self: Histories from the Renaissance to the Present *London,
New York: Routledge, 1997), 17-27. (e-book)
Week 2.2 (Oct. 8-14):
Renaissance Individuals in Society
Readings:
Joanne Ferraro, “Family and Clan in the Renaissance World,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 173-87. 14 p.
Elissa B. Weaver, “Gender,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the
Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 188-208. 20 p.
James R. Farr, “Honour, Law, and Custom in Renaissance Europe, in Guido Ruggiero,
ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 124-138. 14 p.
Robert Muchembled, “Manners, Courts, and Civility,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to
the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 156172. 16 p.
Start on Edward Muir, Mad Blood Stirring: Vendetta in Renaissance Italy (Baltimore:
John's Hopkins University Press, 1998), c. 30 pp.
Week 2.3 (Oct. 15-21):
Social and Economic Inequalities
Readings:
Matthew Vester, “Social Hierarchies: The Upper Classes,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 227-242. 15 p
James S. Amelang, “Social Hierarchies: The Lower Classes,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 243-258. 15 p.
Mary Lindeman, “Plague, Disease, and Hunger,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 427-443. 16 p.
Linda Woodridge, “Renaissance Bogeymen: The Necessary Monsters of the Age,” in
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Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 444-459. 15 p.
David L. Gentilcore, “The Subcultures of the the Renaissance World,” in Guido
Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 299-315. 16 p.
Continue Edward Muir, Mad Blood Stirring: Vendetta in Renaissance Italy (Baltimore:
John's Hopkins University Press, 1998).
Unit 3
MANAGING THE FRACTIOUS WORLD OF THE RENAISSANCE
Reading Week – November 11
Unit Questions:
1. The Renaissance period in Italy was marked by conflict and violence but also by
search for ideal government and strong authority. Discuss Machiavelli's The Prince and
Machiavellian behaviours, as opposed to alternative ideals of the period.
2. Discuss the importance of family loyalties and the culture of vendetta in the ubiquitous
local and regional violence so prevalent in Renaissance Italy.
3. Why were Renaissance states so difficult to govern? Use the mini-biographies in this
unit to highlight your arguments.
Week 3.1 (Reading Week to Nov. 4):
“Might is Right?”: Men of Power, War and Violence
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Francesco Sforza, 1476-1529. The Self-Made Duke,” in
Renaissance People, 60-62.
.
Davis and Lindsmith , “Federico da Montefeltro, 1422-1482. The Artful Duke, “ in Renaissance
People, 77-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Cesare Borgia, 1475-1507.To Be Imitated by All Those Who Have
Risen to Rule,” in Renaissance People, 171-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Catena, died 1581. Rustler, Robber, Bandit Chief”, in
Renaissance People, 309-11.
Thomas F. Arnold, “Violence and Warfare in the Renaissance World,” in Guido
Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 460-474. 14 p.
Gregory Hanlon, “Violence and Its Control in the Late Renaissance: An Italian Model,” in
Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 299-315. 16 p.
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Finish Edward Muir, Mad Blood Stirring: Vendetta in Renaissance Italy (Baltimore:
John's Hopkins University Press, 1998).
Week 3.2 (Nov. 5-11):
How Best to Manage Human Affairs: The Art of Politics
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicòlo Machiavelli, 1469-1527. The First Political Scientist,” in
Renaissance People, 155-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “King João II 1455-1495. 'The Perfect Prince',” in Renaissance
People, 131-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Emperor Charles V, 1550-1558. The Emperor of the Western
World,” in Renaissance People, 245-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Catherine de' Medici, 1519-1589. The Machiavellian Queen,” in
Renaissance People, 269-72.
Nicòlo Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. and ed. by Peter Bondanella (Oxford: Oxford U.
Press, 2005), 50-87.
John M. Najemny, “Political Ideas,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to
the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 384-402.
Edward Muir, “Governments and Bureaucracies,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion
to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 107-123.
Unit 4
(November 12 – December 9)
At the Heart of the Renaissance: Men and Women of Culture
Unit Questions:
1. Why did the Renaissance period generate so much creativity and innovation, despite
the constraints on individuals? Use the mini-biographies to illustrate your points.
2. The esteem that individual artists, scholars, or scientists enjoyed in their lifetime often
differed from the judgement of future generations. Why and how? Use the minibiographies to illustrate your points.
3. What role did external factors (wars, political conflicts, economic conditions, epidemics)
play in shaping the achievements of major Renaissance cultural figures at different
points in their lives. Use the mini-biographies to illustrate your points.
4. From a Renaissance point of view, both Forman and Galileo were scientists. Compare
them and reflect on your reaction to them.
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Week 4.1 (Nov. 12-18):
In the Worlds of High Culture
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lorenzo de' Medici, 1449-1492. 'The Magnificent',” in
Renaissance People, 111-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isabella d'Este, 1474-1539. 'The First Lady of the Renaissance',”
in Renaissance People, 168-70.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolas of Cusa, 1401-1464. God and Man in a (Nearly) Infinite
Universe,” in Renaissance People, 57-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lorenzo Valla, c. 1406-1457. Contentious for Pleasure and for
Profit,” in Renaissance People, 69-71.
Davis and Lindsmith, ”Leon Battista Alberti, 1404-1472. The Original Renaissance Man,“
in Renaissance People, 63-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Pope Pius II, 1405-1464. Humanist, Poet and Pope,” in
Renaissance People, 66-8.
Ingrid D. Rowland, “High Culture,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds
of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 316-332.
R. Po-chia Hsia, “Religious Cultures,” Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds
of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 333-348.
John D'Amico, Renaissance Humanism in Papal Rome: Humanists and Churchmen on
the Eve of the Reformation (Baltimore: John's Hopkins University Press, 1983), skim pp.
1-89.
Week 4.2 (Nov. 19-25): Artists, Patrons, Markets – and Creativity
Readings:
Loren Partridge, “Art,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the
Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 349-365. 16
Visual Artists in Southern Europe:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Fillipo Brunelleschi, 1377-1446. Realizing the Impossible
Cathedral,” in Renaissance People, 28-31.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Donatello, 1386/87-1444. Passion in Stone and Bronze,” in
Renaissance People, 35-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Masaccio, 1401-1428, Putting Painting in Perspective,” in
Renaissance People, 45-7.
15
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucca della Robia, 139/1400-1481. Art Reborn in Another Form,”
in Renaissance People, 54-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519. 'This Man Will Never Do
Anything,” in Renaissance People, 125-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564. Miracles in Paint and
Stone,” in Renaissance People, 175-78.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Gentile Bellini, 1429-?-1507. Portraits of Faces and Façades,” in
Renaissance People, 83-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Raphael, 1481-1520. Master of the High Renaissance,” in
Renaissance People, 182-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Titian, c. 1485-1576. Dynamic Colour in Venice,” in
Renaissance People, 207-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Benvenuto Cellini. 1500-1571. Great Scuptor, Better
Autobiographer,” in Renaissance People, 248-250.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Andrea Palladio, 1508-1580. Perfection in Stone and Brick,” in
Renaissance People, 254-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1527?-1593. Heads of State, Heads of
Cabbage ,” in Renaissance People, 294-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Sofonisba Anguissola, c. 1532-1625. The Feminine Eye,” in
Renaissance People, 298-300.
Visual Artists in Northern Europe:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jan Van Eyck, c. 1395-1441. Capturing the World in Detail,” in
Renaissance People, 41-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Albrecht Dürer.1471-1528. The Renaissance Comes to Italy,” in
Renaissance People, 160-64.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Bernard van Orley, c. 1488-1541. Weaver of Painting,” in
Renaissance People, 213-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucas Granach the Elder, 1472-1553. The Reformation's
Illustrator,” in Renaissance People, 195-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Hans Holbein the Younger, 1497/8-1543. The Mirror of Princes,” in
Renaissance People, 236-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Pieter Bruegel the Elder, c. 1525-1569. The Peasant Painter,”
in Renaissance People, 285-7.
Composers, Musicians, Performing Artists
Davis and Lindsmith, “Josquin des Prez, c. 1450-1521. Restless Choirmaster, Star
Composer,” in Renaissance People, 120-1.
16
Davis and Lindsmith, “Tommaso Inghirami, 1470/1471-1525. Hero of the Vatican,
Heroine of the Stage,” in Renaissance People, 158-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Dick Tarlton, died 1588. The Queen's Comedian,” in Renaissance
People, 289-90.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrino, 1525/26-1594. Saviour of Sacred
Music,” in Renaissance People, 291-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Arcangelo Tuccaro. c. 1535-1602. Acrobat to the Aristocracy,” in
Renaissance People, 304-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isabella Andreini, 1562-1604. Born to the Stage,” in Renaissance
People, 321-3.
Week 4.3 (Nov. 25- Dec. 2):
Scholars, Authors and Publishers in the Renaissance
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Manuel Chrysoloras, c. 1350-1415. A Greek Bearing Gifts” in
Renaissance People, 16-18.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Leonardo Bruni, c. 1369-1444. 'The Light of His Age',” in
Renaissance People, 22-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Flavio Biondo, 1392-1463. Re-Imagining the Glory that Was
Rome,” in Renaissance People, 52-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Antonio de Nebrija, c. 1441-1522. The Inventor of Spanish,” in
Renaissance People, 106-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Michel de Montaigne. 1533-1592. The Literary Art of
Introspection,” in Renaissance People, 301-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Christine of Pizan, c. 1364-c.1430. Defender of Women,” in
Renaissance People, 19-21.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isotta Nogarola, 1418-1466. Young Humanist Turned Holy
Woman,” in Renaissance People, 75-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Louise Labé, 1520/24-1566. The Jousting Poetess,” in
Renaissance People, 273-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Laura Battiferra Ammannati, 1523-1589,” in Renaissance People,
282-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “William Caxton, died 1492. English Books for English Readers,” in
Renaissance People, 94-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Aldus Manutius, 1450?-1515. Printer and Purveyor of Pocket
Books,” in Renaissance People, 122-4.
James Grantham Turner, “Literature,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
17
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)),
366-383.
Susanne Woods, Lanyer: A Renaissance Woman Poet (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1999), Chapter 1 (“Lanyer and Her World”), 1-41).
Week 4.4 (Dec. 3- Dec. 9):
Renaissance Scientists, Explorers, and Savants
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Felix Fabri, c. 1441-1502. Pious Pilgrim, Wisecracking Wanderer,”
in Renaissance People,103-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Christopher Columbus, 1451-1506. 'Admiral of the Ocean Sea',”
in Renaissance People, 140-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “John Cabot, c. 1451-1498. Sailor from Venice, Explorer from
England,” in Renaissance People, 143-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Luca Pacioli, 1445/6-1517. Dazzled by Divine Numbers,” in
Renaissance People, 114-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolas Copernicus, 1473-1543. Revolutionary of the Celestial
Spheres,” in Renaissance People,165-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolaus Kratzer, 1486/87-after 1550. Royal Watchmaker and
Astrologer,” in Renaissance People, 210-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicollò Tartaglia, 1499/1500-1557. Stuttering Savant,” in
Renaissance People, 236-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Andreas Vesalius, 1514-1564. Physician to the Emperor,
Dissector of the Dead,” in Renaissance People, 263-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Tycho Brahe, 1546-1601. The Lord of the Star Castle,” in
Renaissance People, 315-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giordano Bruno, 1548-1600. A Burnt Offering to Science,” in
Renaissance People,318-20.
William Eamon, “The Scientific Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to
the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 403-424.
Lauren Kassen, Medicine and Magic in Elizabethan London: Simon Forman –
Astrologer, Alchemist, and Physician (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005), 73-99,
123-170.
Stillman Drake, Gallileo: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford and New
York: Oxford University Press, 2001), Chapters 3 and 4.
18
WINTER TERM
Unit 5
January 6 - February 9
The Brilliant World of the Medici: Rise and Fall
Unit Questions:
1. Compare the roles of Cosimo and Lorenzo de' Medici in making Florence a key centre
of the Renaissance world..
2. Why did the Medici come under attack from so many directions during Lorenzo de'
Medici's time in power?
3. Why did Girolamo Savonarola hold so much appeal for the Florentines at the end of
the Medici period?
4. Why did Savonarola ultimately fail?
Week 5.1 (Jan.6-12):
Citizenship and the Art of Politics, Self-promotion, and
Advancement
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Cosimo de' Medici, 1389-1464. 'Father of the Fatherland,” in
Renaissance People, 38-40.
John M. Najemy, A History of Florence, 1200-1575 (Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishing, 2008), Chap. 9-10 (pp. 250-306), Chap. 12 ((341-74)
Start reading: Lauro Martines, April blood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici.
(Oxford and New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2003).
Weeks 5.2 – 5.3 (Jan 13-26)
Medici Under Attack
Readings:
Finish Lauro Martines, April Blood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici.
(Oxford and New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2003),
Start Lauro Martines, Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of
Renaissance Florence (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Weeks 5.4 – 5.5 (Jan. 27 – Feb. 9):
The Rise of Savonarola and the Fall of Medici Florence
19
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Girolamo Savonarola,1452-1498. Fire in Florence,” in
Renaissance People,146-8.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Sandro Botticelli, 1445-1510. From Pagan Scenes to Apocalyptic
Themes,” in Renaissance People,117-9.
Lauro Martines, Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of
Renaissance Florence (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Unit 6
February 10- March 8
Shaping the Men's World:
Felice della Rovere and Her Contemporaries
Unit Questions:
1. What role did elite women's personalities/personal inclinations at different life stages
play in their ability to shape their lives.
2. Why was Felice della Rovere able to exercise both power and independence, while
enjoying respect both from her peers and servants?
3. Why did elite women on the margins of society often exercise as much influence as
their mainstream peers?
4. Queen Marguerite of Navarre, Victoria Colonna, and Veronica Franco were all literary
figures, but of different social and political status. Compare their lives, troubles, and
achievements.
Week 6.1 (Feb. 10-Reading Week):
Felice della Rovere I: Pope's Daughter, Diplomat, and an Orsini by
Marriage
Reading:
Caroline Murphy, The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice
della Rovere (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 89-201.
Week 6.2 (Feb. 24-Mar. 1):
Felice della Rovere II: Orsini Matriach in Battle with a Troubled World
Reading:
Caroline Murphy, The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della Rovere
(Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 203-310).
Week 6.3 (Mar. 2-8):
20
Elite Women: For Themselves and for Their Families
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Alessandra Strozzi,1407-1471. A Mother's Dreams and Marital
Schemes,” in Renaissance People, 72-74.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucrezia Tornabuoni, 1418—1466. Side-Stepping Social
Strictures,” in Renaissance People, 80-82.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Vittoria Colonna, 1490-1547.The Divine Rhymer,” in Renaissance
People, 219-221.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Queen Marguerite of Navarre, 1492-1549. Royal Writer, Auxiliary
Queen,” in Renaissance People, 222-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Eleanor of Toledo, 1522-1562. Duchess and Party Planner,” in
Renaissance People, 275-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Gracia Mendes Nasi, 1510-1569. La Señora of the Sephardim,” in
Renaissance People, 260-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Veronica Franco, 1546-1591. Courtesan and Wordsmith,” in
Renaissance People, 312-4.
John M. Najemy, A History of Florence, 1200-1575 (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing,
2008), 219-37.
Stanley Chojnacki, Women and Men in Renaissance Venice: Twelve Essays on
Patrician Society (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), Part II (115185).
Unit 7
March 9 - April 5
Fear of the Unknown, the Promise of Salvation,
and the End of the Renaissance
Unit Questions:
1. Religion played a vital role in both stimulating and stifling the Renaissance. Why?
2. Why was non-conformity so dangerous to religious reformers on both the Reformation
and Catholic Reformation?
3. Why was magic and other forms of illicit knowledge deemed so dangerous that it had
to be suppressed at the cost of terrible persecution of those accused of it?
4. Can proponents of Protestant and Catholic Reformation be regarded as Renaissance
figures, and why?
21
Week 7.1 (Mar. 9-15):
Saints, Reformers, and Counter-Reformers
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “St. Bernardino of Siena, 1380-1444. The People's Preacher,” in
Renaissance People, 32-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jan Hus, c. 1370-1415. Bohemia's Proto-Protestant Priest,” in
Renaissance People, 25-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Desiderius Erasmus, 1466/7-1536. The Temperate Revolutionary,”
in Renaissance People, 152-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Thomas More, 1478-1535. Defending the 'Good Catholyke
Realme,” in Renaissance People, 198-200.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Willian Tyndale, c. 1494-1536. Scripture Translator and Bible
Smuggler,” in Renaissance People, 228-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Martin Luther, 1483-1546. A New Church,” in Renaissance
People, 201-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jean Calvin, 1509-1564. Predestined by God,” in Renaissance
People, 257-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552. Apostle and Missionary to the East
Indies,” in Renaissance People, 251-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Edmund Campion, 1540-1581. 'One of the Diamonds of England”
in Renaissance People, 306-8.
Davis and Lindsmith, St. Teresa of Ávila, 1515-1582. God's Ecstatic Disciple,” in
Renaissance People, 266-8.
Scott H. Hendrix, Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford and New York:
Oxford University Press, 2010)
Week 7.2 (Mar. 16-22):
Suppressing Religious Laxity, Illicit Knowledge, and Magic 1
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Pietro Aretino, 1492-1556. The Scourge of Kings” in Renaissance
People, 225-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “François Rabelais, c. 1494-1553. Gargantuan Talent,” in
Renaissance People, 230-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Antonio Rinaldeschi, died 1501. Gambler and Blasphemer,” in
Renaissance People, 134-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Heinrich Kramer, c. 1430-1505. The Inquisition's Witch-Hunter,” in
22
Renaissance People, 97-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Francisco Jimenéz de Cisneros, 1436-1517” in Renaissance
People, 100-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Paul IV, 1476-1559. The Most Hated of Popes,” in Renaissance
People, 243-4.
Guido Ruggiero, “Witchcraft and Magic,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)),
475-490. 15 pp.
Ian Frederick Moulton, “The Illicit Worlds of the Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A
Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007
(e-book edition)), 491-505.
Week 7.3 (Mar. 23-29):
Suppressing Religious Laxity, Illicit Knowledge, and Magic 2
Reading:
Lauren Kassen, Medicine and Magic in Elizabethan London: Simon Forman –
Astrologer, Alchemist, and Physician (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005), 1-53, 209232.
Stillman Drake, Gallileo: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford and New
York: Oxford University Press, 2001), Chapters 5 and 6.
Week 7.4 (Mar. 29 – Apr. 5):
Christians and the Religious “Others”: Hostility and Shared
Humanity
Readings:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Matthias Corvinus, 1443-1490. Hungary's Humanist King,” in
Renaissance People, 108-10.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Mehmet II, 1432-1481. Conqueror of Constantinople,” in
Renaissance People, 87-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Leo Africanus, c. 1490-c. 1554. Wanderer at Heart, Christian by
Convenience,” in Renaissance People, 186-8.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Hayreddin Barbarossa, died 1546. King of Corsairs,” in
Renaissance People, 193-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Bartolomé de las Casas, 1484-1566. Apostle and Missionary to
the West Indies,” in Renaissance People, 204-6.
Linda Darling, “The Renaissance and the Middle East,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
23
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 55-69.
Matthew Restall, “The Renaissance from the West,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A
Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007
(e-book edition)), 70-87.
Donald MacGillivray Nicol, The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of
Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ.
Press: 1992), Chap. 6-7 (95-128).
Rhoads Murphey, “Suleyman I and the Conquest of Hungary: Ottoman Manifest Destiny
or a Delayed Reaction to Charles V's Universalist Vision,” Journal of Early Modern
History 5 3 (2001): 197- 223.