The Building of Renaissance Florence
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
Florence, Italy, was the cradle of the Renaissance and the birthplace of the modern world. This 4-week course will explore the urban development of Florence from 1000-1500 CE. Through formal architectural readings of the key buildings that defined Florence’s medieval and early modern cityscape, we shall not only come to understand the unique architectural identities of individual buildings, but also how these structures collectively define the city’s urban identity.
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LECTURE 1 "The Great Cathedral Complex: Florence Baptistry and Cathedral"
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
The Baptistery is one of the oldest monuments in Florence and one of Italy’s most important examples of Tuscan Romanesque architecture. We shall also examine the cathedral of Florence, named Santa Maria del Fiore, which is the religious center of the great medieval city and fo...
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LECTURE 2 "Civic Architecture in Medieval Florence: The Bargello, Palazzo Ve..."
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
Originally called the “Palace of the Captain of the People,” the Bargello, begun in 1255, is the earliest example of civic architecture in the city of Florence. Home to medieval Florence’s highest magistrate, the fortified style of architecture of the Bargello would define civ...
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LECTURE 3 "The Mendicant Order Churches: Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce"
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
The first part of this lecture will examine the great Dominican church and convent of Santa Maria Novella. From the 13th-century Gothic-style architecture of its interior, to its early Renaissance façade, the great basilica reflects the changing artistic, religious, and social...
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LECTURE 4 "Brunelleschi's Basilicas: San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito"
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero
Celebrated as the first-ever Renaissance-style church, the Basilica of San Lorenzo was a milestone in the history of architecture. Although largely completed after the death of its revolutionary architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, the design of the church resurrected an architect...
