The Renaissance is a history of cities and the societies they supported. This course surveys the cities that formed the fabric of early modern culture from the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. From courts to republics, to colonial and imperial capitals, we will consider how art, architecture, and urban design supported the diverse social phenomena of the Renaissance world: domestic, political, commercial, and religious. These contexts are explored through case studies like Florence, Rome, and Venice, as well as Paris, Prague, and London; we also consider non-Western examples, including Tenochtitlan, Istanbul, and Isfahan. Using online archives and reconstructions to examine these historical environs, the class introduces a variety of digital tools and culminates in student-led projects using ArcGIS. [AH]
- Profesor: Tracy Cosgriff