Fall 2005
History 439/539 Renaissance Europe
This course offers students an opportunity for a detailed and nuanced study of the Renaissance, from its first stirrings in late fourteenth-century Italy to the High Renaissance of England, France, and Spain in the sixteenth. The course explores the cultural, political, religious, and gender contexts that informed and shaped the way artistic and intellectual ideas were developed during this seminal period of history.
History 439/539
The Renaissance
Text books
Englander et al., ed. Culture and Belief in Europe (This book is on sale at the bookstore, but has been backordered and therefore listed as "Optional". If all the books do not arrive by the date we need them, students can read the book on reserve at the Knight library)
Rice and Grafton, The Foundations of Early Modern Europe , (1460-1559) , 2 nd Ed. (1994)
Supplementary Books
Leon Battista Alberti, The Family in Renaissance Florence . Waveland Press
Machiavelli , The Prince .
Margaret King and Albert Rabil, eds., Her Immaculate Hand: Selected works by and about the women humanists of Quattrocento Italy . Binghamton , NY : Medieval & Renaissance Texts and Studies, 1983.
Thomas Cohen, Love and Death in the Renaissance . Chicago : University of Chicago Press.
Additional primary materials will be placed on e-reserve through the Knight Library.
Assignments - HIS 439
• Midterm (30%)
• Essay #1 (5-7 pgs) (35%)
• Final Paper (8-10) (35%)
See additional information regarding assignments at the end of the syllabus.
Assignments - HIS 539
• Essay #1 (primary source) (6-8 pgs) (30%)
• Essay #2 (historiographic) (6-8 pgs) (30%)
• Research Paper (15-20 pgs) (40%)
9/26 - 9/30. The Origins of the Renaissance
Monday Introduction to course - What is a Renaissance?
Wednesday 12 th c - 14 th century, Black Death
Friday Jacob Burckhardt, "The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy ." Part II Development of the Individual , "Personality." Part III, "Introduction," "The Classics," "Antiquity as the Common Source." www.idbsu.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/burckhardt.html
10/3 - 10/7. Development of Italian City-States
Monday Economic and Social Change
Wednesday Rise of Milan , Venice and Florence
Friday Leonardo Bruni, "Panegyric to the city of Florence," in The Earthly Republic , ed B. Kohl and R. Witt, U Penn (1978), pgs. 121-175 (e-reserve)
Rice, pgs. 45-64
10/10 - 10/14. Humanism
Monday Civic Humanism
Wednesday Christian humanism
Friday Alberti, The Family in Renaissance Florence (excerpts)
Erasmus In praise of folly (e-reserve)
Rice, 74-109
10/17 - 10/21 Art and Architecture
Monday Art and architecture
Wednesday Patrons - Slides, Leonardo, Michelangelo, etc. etc.
Patrons and Artists in the Italian Renaissance (excerpts, e-reserve)
Rice, 90-104
Friday MIDTERM in class
10/24 - 10/28. Renaissance Political Life
Monday Diplomacy; The Papacy and Italian City-States
Wednesday The centralizing state ( France and Spain ); the "Golden Age"
Friday Machiavelli, The Prince
Castiglione, [Englander, 75-83]
Rice, 110-145.
10/31 - 11/4. Science and Technology
Monday Technological Advances (printing press, exploration, war)
Wednesday Experimental Science - Case Study: Leonardo da Vinci
Friday TBA
Slides, anatomy and Leonardo's sketches
Rice, pgs. 1-38
First Essay Due
11/7 - 11/11. Life in the Renaissance - Nobles, Peasants, etc.
Monday Nobility and Merchants
Wednesday Peasants and Outsiders
Friday Cohen, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy , Chaps 3 & 4
Rice, pgs 64-76.
11/14 - 11/18. Women in the Renaissance
Monday Family Life
Wednesday Breaking Free
Friday Isotta Nogrola, "Of the equal or unequal sin of Adam and Eve," (57-68), Cassandra Fedele, "Oration for Vertucio Lamberto," and "Oration in praise of Letters," (69-76), Laura Cereta, "Letter to Lucilia Vernacula: Against women who disparage learned Women," (85-6), in King and Rabil, eds, Her Immaculate Hand .
Joan Kelly, "Did Women Have a Renaissance?" (e-reserve)
11/21 - 11/25. Renaissance in Spain
Monday Religious Revival and the Inquisition
Wednesday Did Spain Have a Renaissance? Teresa of Avila, The Book of her Life (e-reserve)
Juan de Mariana, "Whether it is Right to Destroy a Tyrant (1599)" [Englander, 261-268]
Friday No Class - Thanksgiving Break
11/28 - 12/2. The Renaissance in England and France
Monday Tudor England
Wednesday Francis I
Friday Rabelais [Englander, 86-99]
Act of Supremacy [Englander]
Final Papers Due by Noon on Wednesday December 7. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Assignments:
Written assignments are due in class at the beginning of class . Late papers will be penalized half a letter grade for each day, unless the student provides official documentation of an emergency. All written work will be typed written in 12-point Times or Times New Roman, double spaced, and be fasted with a staple or paperclip. No papers will be accepted via email.
•
History 439/539
The Renaissance
Text books
Englander et al., ed. Culture and Belief in Europe (This book is on sale at the bookstore, but has been backordered and therefore listed as "Optional". If all the books do not arrive by the date we need them, students can read the book on reserve at the Knight library)
Rice and Grafton, The Foundations of Early Modern Europe , (1460-1559) , 2 nd Ed. (1994)
Supplementary Books
Leon Battista Alberti, The Family in Renaissance Florence . Waveland Press
Machiavelli , The Prince .
Margaret King and Albert Rabil, eds., Her Immaculate Hand: Selected works by and about the women humanists of Quattrocento Italy . Binghamton , NY : Medieval & Renaissance Texts and Studies, 1983.
Thomas Cohen, Love and Death in the Renaissance . Chicago : University of Chicago Press.
Additional primary materials will be placed on e-reserve through the Knight Library.
Assignments - HIS 439
• Midterm (30%)
• Essay #1 (5-7 pgs) (35%)
• Final Paper (8-10) (35%)
See additional information regarding assignments at the end of the syllabus.
Assignments - HIS 539
• Essay #1 (primary source) (6-8 pgs) (30%)
• Essay #2 (historiographic) (6-8 pgs) (30%)
• Research Paper (15-20 pgs) (40%)
9/26 - 9/30. The Origins of the Renaissance
Monday Introduction to course - What is a Renaissance?
Wednesday 12 th c - 14 th century, Black Death
Friday Jacob Burckhardt, "The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy ." Part II Development of the Individual , "Personality." Part III, "Introduction," "The Classics," "Antiquity as the Common Source." www.idbsu.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/burckhardt.html
10/3 - 10/7. Development of Italian City-States
Monday Economic and Social Change
Wednesday Rise of Milan , Venice and Florence
Friday Leonardo Bruni, "Panegyric to the city of Florence," in The Earthly Republic , ed B. Kohl and R. Witt, U Penn (1978), pgs. 121-175 (e-reserve)
Rice, pgs. 45-64
10/10 - 10/14. Humanism
Monday Civic Humanism
Wednesday Christian humanism
Friday Alberti, The Family in Renaissance Florence (excerpts)
Erasmus In praise of folly (e-reserve)
Rice, 74-109
10/17 - 10/21 Art and Architecture
Monday Art and architecture
Wednesday Patrons - Slides, Leonardo, Michelangelo, etc. etc.
Patrons and Artists in the Italian Renaissance (excerpts, e-reserve)
Rice, 90-104
Friday MIDTERM in class
10/24 - 10/28. Renaissance Political Life
Monday Diplomacy; The Papacy and Italian City-States
Wednesday The centralizing state ( France and Spain ); the "Golden Age"
Friday Machiavelli, The Prince
Castiglione, [Englander, 75-83]
Rice, 110-145.
10/31 - 11/4. Science and Technology
Monday Technological Advances (printing press, exploration, war)
Wednesday Experimental Science - Case Study: Leonardo da Vinci
Friday TBA
Slides, anatomy and Leonardo's sketches
Rice, pgs. 1-38
First Essay Due
11/7 - 11/11. Life in the Renaissance - Nobles, Peasants, etc.
Monday Nobility and Merchants
Wednesday Peasants and Outsiders
Friday Cohen, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy , Chaps 3 & 4
Rice, pgs 64-76.
11/14 - 11/18. Women in the Renaissance
Monday Family Life
Wednesday Breaking Free
Friday Isotta Nogrola, "Of the equal or unequal sin of Adam and Eve," (57-68), Cassandra Fedele, "Oration for Vertucio Lamberto," and "Oration in praise of Letters," (69-76), Laura Cereta, "Letter to Lucilia Vernacula: Against women who disparage learned Women," (85-6), in King and Rabil, eds, Her Immaculate Hand .
Joan Kelly, "Did Women Have a Renaissance?" (e-reserve)
11/21 - 11/25. Renaissance in Spain
Monday Religious Revival and the Inquisition
Wednesday Did Spain Have a Renaissance? Teresa of Avila, The Book of her Life (e-reserve)
Juan de Mariana, "Whether it is Right to Destroy a Tyrant (1599)" [Englander, 261-268]
Friday No Class - Thanksgiving Break
11/28 - 12/2. The Renaissance in England and France
Monday Tudor England
Wednesday Francis I
Friday Rabelais [Englander, 86-99]
Act of Supremacy [Englander]
Final Papers Due by Noon on Wednesday December 7. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Assignments:
Written assignments are due in class at the beginning of class . Late papers will be penalized half a letter grade for each day, unless the student provides official documentation of an emergency. All written work will be typed written in 12-point Times or Times New Roman, double spaced, and be fasted with a staple or paperclip. No papers will be accepted via email.
• The first essay will be an analysis of one primary source document of the student's choice from the syllabus. The student will argue an original thesis based on an assessment of the document. Information covered in class can be used uncited as "general information."
• The second paper will be a research paper based on a topic of the students' choice. Students must clear their topics with the professor before beginning. I recommend that you think about and begin your research in early November, as you may encounter trouble finding material for your research. Each paper must use a minimum of 2 primary sources and 3 secondary sources. Students may not use online sources without prior approval of the professor (although I am happy to give approval once I have seen the site).
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