Venice was the longest lasting Republic in history. The city’s privileged position as cultural and economic bridge between the Eastern and Western Christian world contribute to the uniqueness of Venice. The art and architecture in Venice clearly display this combination of Islamic, Byzantine, and...

Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture where he will examine one of the longest lasting dynasties in history. From relatively modest beginnings, the Medici family became one of the most wealthy and powerful in Europe. As bankers to some of Europe’s most important rulers, including the Pope, the Me...

In the first half of the 14th century, the city of Siena was Florence’s main political, economic and artistic rival. Artists such as Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio Lorenzetti were members of one of Europe’s most important school of painting. This video lecture will examine the art, architec...

Leonardo Da Vinci maintained that “A good painter has two main objects to paint – man and the intention of his soul.” What Leonardo means by the “intention of the soul” is what we would call “emotion”, and the entire history of art has been an attempt to communicate, evoke, provoke, sublimate, ca...

After 100 years of construction, the reign of 18 different popes, and the direction of 12 different architects, St. Peter’s Basilica was finally completed in 1626. Measuring more than two football fields in length, it was by far the largest church in Christendom, and a fitting monument to the bur...

The Italian region of Tuscany gave rise to some of the most significant political, economic, and artistic cities in Western history, such as Pisa, Siena, and Florence. Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture where he will explore the great histories and art of various Tuscan cities; as well the gen...

The Pinacoteca di Brera is Milan's most important painting museum, housing masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Tintoretto, and Andrea Mantegna. Join Dr. Rocky Ruggiero in this video lecture as he explores this extraordinary collection of Italian Renaissance paintings.

This webinar will examine the extraordinary Palazzo Te (1526-1535) in Mantua, which was designed and decorated by the great artist and pupil of Raphael, Giulio Romano. Built as the quintessential pleasure palace of the marquis-turned-duke of Mantua, Federico II Gonzaga, every detail of the buildi...

This lecture will discuss the Allegory of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the “Room of the Nine”- Siena’s medieval Oval Office. We will come to understand that the governing principles of an effective democracy transcend time.

After 100 years of construction, the reign of 18 different popes, and the direction of 12 different architects, St. Peter's Basilica was finally completed in 1626. Measuring more than two football fields in length, it was by far the largest church in Christendom, and a fitting monument to the bur...

When Michelangelo signed the contract with Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. After four and a half years of physical strain, personal conflict with the Pope, and an endless demand for inspiration, Michelangelo covered near...

Join me for the second part of my exploration of the Vatican Museums. We shall explore the majestic Renaissance architecture of Donato Bramante, the extraordinary collection of ancient statues in the Belvedere Courtyard (including the Laocoön and Apollo Belvedere) and then examine the breathtakin...

In 1507, a 24 year-old artist from Urbino named Raphael Sanzio exploded onto the scene when Pope Julius II awarded him the contract to fresco the walls of his personal apartments. The result was some of the most sublime paintings of the Renaissance, including his iconic School of Athens. Join Dr....

Although nearly 7 million people visit the Vatican Museums each year, few realize that there is much more to this extraordinary collection than just the four Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. This video lecture will examine often-overlooked, but by no means less amazing, collection of paintin...

The Bargello Museum is the National Sculpture Gallery of Florence and houses what is arguably the world's greatest collection of Renaissance sculptures. Join me for this free webinar where we will examine the history of the 13th-century building that houses the collection, the Competition Panels ...

The Bargello Museum is the National Sculpture Gallery of Florence and houses what is arguably the world's greatest collection of Renaissance sculptures. Join me for this video lecture where we will examine the history of the 13th-century building that houses the collection, the Competition Panels...

Despite its name, the Museo dell'Opera is not a music museum, but a museum of the extraordinary artwork that was commissioned by the Opera, or "building committee" of Florence Cathedral. All of the artwork in this museum was intended for or removed from the breathtaking cathedral across the stree...

Despite its name, the Museo dell'Opera is not a music museum, but a museum of the extraordinary artwork that was commissioned by the Opera, or "building committee" of Florence Cathedral. All of the artwork in this museum was intended for or removed from the breathtaking cathedral across the stree...

Perhaps the most underrated museum in Florence, Italy, the Casa Buonarroti was a property once owned by Michelangelo Buonarroti and then later transformed into a museum intended to celebrate the great artist's legacy. Join me for this video lecture where we shall explore this extraordinary collec...

Join me for this video lecture where will examine the art, architecture, and history of the first-ever Renaissance convent. Dominican friars have lived in the Convent of San Marco for nearly 600 years, and it still remains one of Florence's greatest spiritual centers, housing one of the city's mo...

The Accademia Gallery in Florence has been described as a temple dedicated to the world's greatest statue - Michelangelo's David. Join me for this video lecture where we will examine the history of this great statue as well as the other great works in the collection by Michelangelo, his unfinishe...

Despite its name, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Siena is not a music museum. It is instead a museum of the extraordinary artwork that was commissioned by the Opera, or "building committee" of Siena Cathedral. All of the artwork in this museum was intended for or removed from the breathtaking ...

Originally built in the middle of the 15th century for the banker Luca Pitti, the Palazzo Pitti was later purchased by Duchess Eleonora of Toledo and transformed into Europe's seminal royal palace as home to the royal Medici family. Today, the building houses four separate museums, the most impor...

Of all the extraordinary paintings of the Italian Renaissance, no subject better reflects the importance of the maternal role in Italian society than does the “Madonna and Child.”
Join Dr. Rocky in this special video lecture celebrating Mother's Day and discover the extraordinary “Madonna and Chi...