Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture where he will explore the sometimes violent, often bizarre, and always fascinating representations of saints and martyrs in Italian art. From St. Sebastian’s arrows to St. Lucy’s eyeballs to St. Lawrence’s barbecue grill, Prof. Ruggiero will provide an engagi...

Brunelleschi’s basilica of Santo Spirito in Florence, Italy, is one of the defining architectural works of the Renaissance. The building of this great church was a perfect historical storm - a celebrity architect, who was bordering on apotheosis as he neared the completion of the dome of Florence...

Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture dedicated to the patron saint of Florence on his very own feast day. Dr. Rocky will examine significant representations of the saint by Renaissance masters such as Duccio, Donatello, Ghiberti, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Caravaggio. He will also discuss t...

On April 26, 1478, Giuliano de’ Medici lay dead on the pavement of Florence cathedral with 19 stab wounds serving as testimony to the vicious attack that he had just suffered. Had his assassins – who were backed by Pope Sixtus IV - succeeded in eliminating his older brother, Lorenzo “il Magnifico...

The architectural and urban patronage of Popes Sixtus V, Paul V, Urban VIII, and Innocent X transformed Rome into the magnificent city that, in large part, we still see today. The creative vision of their respective architects produced some of the most exquisite architecture in history. This excl...

Come get into the holiday spirit with artists such as Botticelli, Van Der Goes, Leonardo da Vinci, Tintoretto, Velázquez, Rubens and Rembrandt and their moving visual interpretations of the story that gave rise to the gift-giving tradition of Christmas. This video lecture will retell the story of...

Decorated entirely with paintings by the great Venetian Renaissance painter Tintoretto, the Scuola Grande of San Rocco is the only still-active scuola - or "confraternity" in Venice. The scuola building houses nearly 50 paintings by Tintoretto, which depict both Old and New Testament subject matt...

Extraordinary exhibition on Donatello at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence; join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture that will focus on the singular artistic genius of the 15th-century sculptor Donatello. Through an in-depth analysis of selected works from throughout his prolific career, you will come...

The extraordinary exhibition currently at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy, displays Michelangelo's recently restored Bandini Pietà next to casts of his two other interpretations of the subject located in St. Peter's Basilica and the Sforza Castle respectively. In light of the un...

Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture dedicated to the extraordinary exhibition entitled "Raphael" (April 9-July 31, 2022) at the National Gallery in London. The exhibition is one of the most complete assemblies of the artist's works with pieces on loan from the Louvre, the Prado, the Uffizi, the...

In 1483, the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception commissioned Leonardo to paint an altarpiece for their chapel at the church of San Francesco Grande in Milan. Due to a disagreement regarding payment to the artist, it appears that the altarpiece was never delivered. This exclusive webinar w...

Join Dr. Rocky for this video lecture in honor of the current restoration of the marvelous frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. There is no better place in the world in which to illustrate the evolution of late Gothic to Early Renaissance painting than this chapel. It was here tha...

Although Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is by far the most iconic version of the subject, various other celebrated Italian Renaissance artists have interpreted it as well. Join Dr. Rocky for this exclusive webinar where he will explore the evolution of the Last Supper image in Italian art with...

Michelangelo’s "David" has been described as the greatest sculpture of all time. Standing 17ft. 1in. in height, and weighing just over 5 tons, the sheer scale of the statue is breathtaking. Yet, there is much more to this sculpture than just its size. Join Dr. Rocky for this exclusive webinar whe...

When Leonardo returned to Florence in the early 1500s, he immediately made his presence felt. Giorgio Vasari recounts how a Leonardo cartoon was put on display in the church of Santissima Annunziata and how great crowds “would gaze in amazement at the marvels he had created.” Shortly thereafter, ...

The competition of 1401 for the commission for a set of bronze doors for Florence Baptistery is generally considered the event that kicked off the Renaissance. Firstly, because of the date of the competition, which coincides with the chronological beginnings of the Renaissance. Then because of th...

No three cities in the world capture the collective imagination of western culture better than these three Renaissance capitals! Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore and compare the artistic legacies of Italy’s three most famous cities.

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. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will exa...

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will examine the ancient Roman origins of the city of Florence and trace its urban and historic development from its foundation in 59 BCE. to the modern city that we see today, which served as the capital of the newly formed nation of Italy from 1865-70.

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will count down his TOP TEN Italian Renaissance masterpieces located in various museum collections in the United States.

While Renaissance cities such as Florence, Rome, and Venice are the better-known touristic destinations, Italian court towns such as Urbino, Mantua, Naples, Milan, and Ferrara are equally beautiful. Ruled over by dynastic families such as the Gonzaga, Monefteltro, Anjou/Aragonese, Sforza, and Est...

The island of Capri in the Bay of Naples has been appreciated for its striking natural beauty ever since ancient times when Roman emperors such as Tiberius began building villas on the island. In the 19th century, the island became famous throughout Europe because many artists and authors sojourn...