Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Rome was the birthplace of the Baroque, so it’s no surprise that the Eternal City is home to some of the world’s most outstanding Baroque creations. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he counts down Rome’s 10 greatest Baroque monuments!

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

In 1525, the extraordinary Mannerist painter Jacopo Pontormo was commissioned to decorate the Capponi Chapel in Santa Felicita in Florence. Pontormo painted the dome and its surrounding pendentives, a side wall fresco of the “Annunciation” and an altarpiece whose beauty is bey...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Get ready for Halloween by joining Dr. Rocky as he celebrates those things “that went bump in the night” in the Italian Renaissance art. From Giotto to Botticelli to Leonardo to Michelangelo, discover the dark side of Renaissance genius!

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

While Donatello is best known for his sublime bronze “David” in the Bargello Museum, his greatest innovation was the development of a technique known as “rilievo schiacciato.” The great Renaissance biographer, Giorgio Vasari wrote, “ And in this genre too Donato [ie Donatello...

As tourist season kicks off into high gear, the streets, museums, and restaurants of Florence, Italy, will be filled to the breaking point. Fortunately, there are still many beautiful places in the city that social media has not discovered. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he explores the hidde...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

No other artist in history blurred the line between art and life more than Caravaggio. Was his art so shockingly realistic and violent because he was a sociopath, or do we think he was sociopath because of his art? Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he counts down the top ten ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

In 1482, a 30-year-old Leonardo da Vinci was summoned to Milan by the city’s ruler Ludovico “the Moor” Sforza. While the primary reason was for Leonardo to realize a massive equestrian monument in honor of Ludovico’s father, Leonardo ended up producing many other masterpieces ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

American museums are home to some of Caravaggio greatest masterpieces. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he explores the paintings by Caravaggio located in museums throughout the US!

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Papal tombs became a means by which Renaissance popes could leave behind a visual testimony of their piety, power, and politics. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he surveys the greatest papal tombs of the Italian Renaissance!

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

From the worldwide media attention given to the theft and recovery of the “Mona Lisa” in 1911 and 1913 respectively, to the never-solved theft of Caravaggio’s “Nativity” in 1969 in Palermo, to the shocking theft of a Raphael and two Piero della Francesca paintings in 1975 from...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Italian Renaissance produced many of the world’s most beautiful depictions of women. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he explores the representation of female beauty in the works of Renaissance masters such as Giotto, Lippi, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, R...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

While a majority of Italy’s most famous museums are in Florence and Rome, northern Italy is also home to some of the world’s greatest art collections. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he explores the great museums northern Italy, which contain masterpieces by, amongst others...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Twice a year, on July 2 and August 16, the Tuscan city of Siena transforms its central medieval square into an arena of unbridled fury. Ten bareback horses and their respective jockeys race three laps at breakneck speed around a dirt-covered piazza filled with fifty-thousand p...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Few legends are as remarkable as the legend of the “True Cross” - the alleged cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. Derived from wood from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, worshipped by the Queen of Sheba, preserved by King Solomon, and ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Alessandro Botticelli revolutionized the Italian art world with his introduction of mythological themes. And while his “Primavera” and iconic “Birth of Venus” are his best-known works, Botticelli produced many other mythological paintings. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will examine the spectacular drawings and other works of art by Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael in the two concurrent exhibitions taking place in London in 2025. From the 160 works from the royal collection on display at the King’s ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Many of history’s most famous works of art were intended to decorate altars, hence the term “altarpiece.” Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he counts down his TOP 10 altarpieces of the Italian Renaissance!

In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint a “Last Supper” on the north wall of a Dominican refectory in Milan. The result was a revolutionary painting that many claim was the first work of the High Renaissance. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore and analyze Leonardo’...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Masaccio are the three artists are credited with first introducing what we today define as Renaissance art in their respective fields of sculpture, architecture, and painting. Yet, beyond their artistic prowess, these artists also shared an extraor...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

If you missed this extraordinary exhibition at the Met, or if you plan on seeing it at the National Gallery in London (3/8/25 – 6/22/25), or if you simply love Sienese painting, join Dr. Rocky for this pop-up webinar where he will explore the amazing masterpieces in the exhib...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was one of the greatest artists of all time. His breathtaking statues such as the “Apollo and Daphne,” and “Ecstasy of St. Teresa,” as well as is dazzling architectural projects such as the “Baldacchino” and “St. Peter’s Square” continue to amaze visitors ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

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 exami...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore one of Italy’s most beautiful regions – Puglia. From the natural beauty of its countryside and coast, to the man-made beauty of its architecture, to the beauty of its artisanal and culinary traditions, Puglia is simply asto...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Most people think just about everything in Renaissance Florence was paid for by the Medici family. In reality, much of the city was already built when the Medici came into the picture. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he separates fact from fancy and examines the true rol...