Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Leonardo entered the workshop of Florence’s most celebrated sculptor, Andrea Del Verrocchio, in 1467, sat the age of 15. He would remain part of Verrocchio’s household even after becoming an independent professional artist five years later. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar wher...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

While Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is one of the most famous paintings in history, few people realize it is just one of many representations of the famous biblical scene. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he counts down the top 10 Last Suppers of the Italian Renaissance.

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The fact that the lives and careers of these three extraordinary men not only overlapped but were directly intertwined is a direct reflection of the unique importance of their times. No other moment in western history witnessed the concurrence of such artistic genius in such c...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Michelangelo left more than half of all his sculptures in an unfinished state. Some because of the demands of his patrons, others due to personal circumstances. Join Dr. Rocky as he examines Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures and the amazing stories behind them.

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

On May 29, 1606, Caravaggio killed a man on Via della Scrofa in Rome. Wanted for murder, he immediately fled the city and spent the last four years of his life as a fugitive from justice. He went first to Naples, then to Malta, Sicily, and back to Naples again. While making hi...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Antonio Canova was Europe’s most famous artist at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. His sublime Neoclassical sculptures – such as “Cupid and Psyche,” ”Perseus with the Head of Medusa,” and the “Venus Victrix” (Paolina Bonaparte, younger sister of the emperor) – are some...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Much of history’s greatest art and architecture was produced for Renaissance popes. In fact, artists such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, and Bernini all produced multiple masterpieces for those popes who reigned during the Renaissance. Join Dr. Rocky...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Son of celebrated painter and priest Fra Lippo Lippi, Filippino Lippi was one of Renaissance Italy’s most celebrated painters. After his father’s death in 1469, Filippino entered the workshop of Sandro Botticelli (who also studied with his father). As a result, the painting st...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Italian Island of Sicily is one of the most magical places on earth. Embraced by the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Ionian Seas, kissed by warm sunshine nearly year-round, home to three active volcanoes, and a multi-colored landscape that includes forests, farmland, and ar...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Some of history’s most celebrated painters were also ordained priests. Not surprisingly, their work is often distinguished for its spirituality, which was perhaps the direct result of their religious devotion. Join Dr. Rocky for this exclusive webinar as he examines the art an...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Some of the most beautiful paintings of the Italian Renaissance by artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna, Correggio, Vasari, and Raphael were painted on ceilings. Join Dr. Rocky for this free webinar as he counts down the top 10 ceiling paintings of the Ita...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Italian region of Puglia is so rich in art, beauty, and tradition that you feel like you are being carried away by some invisible force, which the Apulian singer Domenico Modugno (“Volare” 1958) describes as the wind. There is just so much to see, taste, hear and experienc...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Leonardo da Vinci is often described as history’s greatest universal genius. He produced some of the most beautiful and famous paintings ever created. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he counts down Leonardo’s top 10 works of art.

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the history and legacy of the Medici family in Florence from their rather modest beginnings to their ascendancy to rulers of Tuscany. The Medici were not only great patrons of the arts, but also major geopolitical players a...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The early Renaissance period in Florence, Italy, producesdsome of history’s most celebrated works of art. Artists such as Donatello, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico, Ghiberti, and Botticelli resurrected the classical world through their distinct artistic style. Join Dr. Rocky for t...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar as he examines the five most important and influential families of the Italian Renaissance. From the celebrated Medici of Florence, to the Sforza of Milan, the Gonzaga of Mantua, the Farnese of Parma, to the Este of Ferrara, these five families ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Whether it’s ancient Etruscan, Greek or Roman, few places in the world have an archeological heritage as rich as Italy. Join Dr. Rocky for this free webinar as he counts down Italy’s top 10 archeological sites!

In 1515, Medici Pope Leo X commissioned Raphael to produce a series of 16 full-scale cartoons from which an equal number silver and gold-threaded tapestries were to be produced in Brussels. The final location of the tapestries was the Sistine Chapel and would have allowed Raphael’s work to be mea...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Measuring more than 1 ½ football fields in length and requiring nearly 6 generations to build, the Duomo of Florence is one of the world’s greatest churches. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the beautiful architecture and dramatic building history of this ...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

The Italian region of Tuscany is celebrated world-wide for its breathtaking landscapes, rich history, astounding artistic patrimony, great food, and excellent wine. Join Dr. Rocky as he counts down the top 10 greatest things to do, see, drink, or eat in Tuscany!

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

St. Francis of Assisi is one of the best known and most loved saints in the Catholic Church. Not surprisingly, he was often represented in Italian Renaissance art by artists such as Giotto, Donatello, Bellini, Titian, and Caravaggio - just to name a few. Join Dr Rocky for this...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

While today the Italian city of Siena is known mainly for its Palio horse race, in the first half of the 14th century, Siena was one of Europe’s most important cities and medieval Florence’s main political, economic, and artistic rivals. Join Dr. Rocky for this free webinar wh...

Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Of all of Raphael’s works, his “Madonna and Child” paintings best embody what Vasari described as his dolce stile (“sweet style”) – that sentimental quality that makes Raphael paintings so appealing. Join Dr. Rocky for this webinar where he will explore the tenderness and inti...