The Italian Renaissance

By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett

Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The effects of the Italian Renaissance are still with us today, from the incomparable paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to the immortal writings of Petrarch and Machiavelli. But why was there such an artistic, cultural, and intellectual explosion in Italy at the start of the 14th century? Why did it occur in Italy? And why in certain Italian city-states such as Florence?

Professor Bartlett probes these questions and more in 36 dynamic lectures. This is your opportunity to appreciate the results of the Italian Renaissance and gain an understanding of the underlying social, political, and economic forces that made such exceptional art and culture possible. At the heart of Renaissance Italy were the city-states, home to the money, intellect, and talent needed for the growth of Renaissance culture. You'll look at the Republic of Florence, as well as other city-states that, thanks to geographical and historical circumstances, had much different political and social structures. This course contains a wealth of details that will give you a feel and appreciation for the Italian Renaissance - its contributions to history, the ways it was similar and dissimilar to our times, and how the people of the time, both famous and ordinary, experienced it. You'll come away surprised by how much of our modern life was made possible by the Renaissance. Our concept of participatory government, our belief in the value of competition, our philosophy of the content and purpose of education, even our notions of love all have roots in the Renaissance period. Its loftiest ideals - the importance of the individual, the value of human dignity and potential, and the promotion of freedom - are ones we embrace as our own.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great Courses

Excellent Review of the Renaissance

This book really filled gaps that were missing in my understanding of the Renaissance! I would strongly recommend this audiobook to anyone who has an interest in this incredible era.

A little too academic for me....

Would you consider the audio edition of The Italian Renaissance to be better than the print version?

Don't know

What did you like best about this story?

Its overall approach is very interesting

Which character – as performed by Professor Kenneth R. Bartlett – was your favorite?

Not relevant

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The very beginning

Any additional comments?

It just reads to much like a very dry academic text book. I have not felt this way about a number of other great course that I have listened to.

Depth of knowledge amazing and easy listen

Depth of knowledge amazing and easy listen

Exceeded expectations. Going through the chapters with chronological mixed with significant people made it feel like layers building and adding more appreciation for period.

Wonderful overview of the Renaissance

this series of lectures gives a delightful and deeply informative survey of the concepts, historical context, and personalities that give rise to and drove the Renaissance. his review of how the Renaissance unfolded in different cities of Italy was particularly enlightening and intriguing. Anyone visiting Northern Italy should listen to this series of lectures before going to make the experience context needed to truly enjoy what the Renaissance has left us.

Romans, Italians and Barbarians

Overall, I will say that I enjoyed this course quite a bit. But with that said, Bartlett would be well-served to drop the use of the word 'Barbarians' when talking about Germans and other non-Italians. I know he is trying to make a continuous connection between antiquity and the Renaissance, but needless repetition of the term does become distracting at times. Otherwise, it was a great course (pun intended).

Great course

I enjoyed every minute of this course, It was a great experience that added to my general knowledge

Excellent Course!

This course was wonderful. The lectures were interesting and thought provoking, and it is easy to see Kenneth Bartlett is an expert in his field. I highly recommend this course if you are interested in the Renaissance.

Overarching account of Italian Renaisance

From the beginning of the humanist movement with Petrarch to the end of the Renaissance at the times of the Council of Trent and the counterreform, passing through the history of each of the main centers where Renaissance sprang and developed. An excellent view of the European powers context, as well.

Working my way thru history

Both of Prof Bartlett’s course on the Italian Renaissance are both a very accessible primer but as well a good reminder for those like myself who have not studied the Renaissance since, if ever college, and the notes in pdf materials allows me to catch the Italian spelling and names. I just finished both courses and already I have gone back to listen to selected episodes .

Interesting but Something's Missing

This is a very interesting course that I greatly enjoyed. The professor is talented, and he presented a lot of information that I did not know. My one criticism is the notable absence of any in-depth discussion of the great Italian artists of the Renaissance. This is not so much a history of the Renaissance as it is a history of Italy during the Renaissance period. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the course, and feel like I learned a great deal. I recommend it to anyone...just don't expect to hear much about Leonardo or Raphael.