Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Husband of the Virgin Mary, legal father of Jesus, patron saint of workers, the nation of Italy and the Catholic Church, exemplar of fatherhood, St. Joseph might not be as famous as other saints, but he is certainly no less important. Celebrate St. Joseph’s Day with Dr. Rocky ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

A record-setting number of tourists have already converged on Italy this spring, and it looks like it is only going to get more crowded this summer. The Vatican Museums are regularly admitting more than 30,000 people per day. Visitors to the Uffizi Gallery are asking to leave ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Uffizi Gallery houses the world’s most important collection of medieval and Renaissance Italian paintings, with major works by artists such as Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Lippo Lippi, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Caravagg...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

With the revival of Antiquity during the Italian Renaissance, Venus quickly became a favorite subject for artists. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore various representations of Venus in Italian Renaissance art by artists such as Botticelli, Bellini, Giorgion...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will examine the unique artistic and historical identities of five Italian cities – Rome, Siena, Florence, Venice and Milan - that helped shape the course of Western civilization from ancient Rome through to the Renaissance. Much of the...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he traces the evolution of Italian sculpture from its ancient origins through to the modern world. From ancient Etruscans and Romans to the Renaissance genius of Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini, all the way to the sublime creations of Can...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Shortly after returning to Florence from Rome, Botticelli produced four “spalliere” (or “shoulder-height”) paintings of one of the most famous episodes from Boccaccio’s “Decameron” – the tale of Nastagio degli Onesti. Painted to celebrate the marriage of Giannozzo Pucci and Lu...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

In 1508, Pope Julius II hired a 25-year-old painter named Raphael to fresco the walls of his personal apartments in the Vatican. The result was one of the most extraordinary collections of paintings in history – including the super famous “School of Athens!” Join Dr. Rocky for...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The construction of the Duomo of Siena started in 1226 and took nearly two centuries to complete. Along the way, the building continued to evolve and change, and ended up being one of Italy’s greatest expressions of Gothic architecture. It also houses some of history’s greates...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Even before completing “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Paul III had chosen Michelangelo to decorate the walls of his new namesake chapel – the Pauline Chapel located in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. Used as an antechamber to the Sistine Chapel, the Paul...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Much of the magnificence of St. Peter’s is the direct result of the genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the various masterpieces by Bernini in the great basilica, such as his
“Baldacchino,” the “Chair of St. Peter,” and the var...

Dr. Fabrizio Ricciardelli

The merchant class that took power in Florence in August 1282 gained strength from the inexorable economic and demographic growth of the century’s early decades. The Florentine economy was based on three main activities, banking, industry, and trade. In spite of the fac...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Measuring more than 1 ½ football fields in length and 33 stories in height, it is not surprising that Florence Cathedral required 172 years to complete!
Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the epic construction history of one of the world’s largest and most b...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Currently on loan to the National Gallery in London, “The Martyrdom of St. Ursula” is generally considered to be Caravaggio’s last painting before his mysterious death. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will retrace the doomed artist’s final years and examine the painti...

In 1975, a “secret” room was discovered below Michelangelo’s New Sacristy at San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy. After cleaning the walls, dozens of drawings came to light and the then director of the Medici Chapels attributed them to Michelangelo. His theory was that they were executed by Michelange...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the revolutionary painting styles of three of the greatest artists in history. From Giotto’s definitive break with the Byzantine style, to Masaccio’s emotion and perspective, to Michelangelo’s idealized vision of the male n...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Goldsmith-turned-architect Filippo Brunelleschi is often described in both scholarly and popular accounts as the perfect balance of architect and engineer, visionary, and traditionalist. He was arguably the first to resurrect an architectural language that had been dead for a ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will examine the history and architecture of the first Renaissance-style family palace. The Medici Palace was not only the home of the family, but also the seat of their political and financial power. Commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici i...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

While most people appreciate Florence Cathedral for its massive scale and unparalleled dome, the church also contains one of the world's most important art collections. From medieval masterpieces by Arnolfo di Cambio and Giotto, to early Renaissance works by Donatello, Lucca d...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

When Leonardo da Vinci began painting the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the wealthy Florentine cloth merchant Francesco del Giocondo, in 1503, little did he know just how much employment he would generate for future art historians. From theories concerning her enigmatic...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, contain the world’s most important collection of Italian Renaissance painting. A large portion of this collection is art of the High Renaissance. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the High Renaissance masterpieces at...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

In the early 16th century, Venice had become Florence’s main artistic rival. Artists such as Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Giorgione, and Tintoretto were just as famous and in-demand as their central Italian contemporaries. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will examine the...

While the Tuscan city of Siena is most celebrated for its Gothic painting, it is also home to some of the greatest sculptural masterpieces of the Renaissance. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the extraordinary collection of Renaissance sculptures in Siena.

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

“Guido Riccio” was once the most recognized painting in Siena, Italy, appearing on the cover of Sienese guidebooks, posters, prestigious wine labels, lampshades, and postcards. In many ways, “Guido Riccio” was the symbol of the great medieval city, with schools, tennis clubs, ...