The Italian Renaissance Podcast

Nov 04 2024 54 ep. 31 mins 17
The Italian Renaissance Podcast artwork

*New episodes will resume in 2025*

The Italian Renaissance Podcast takes you on an exciting journey into fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy, stepping beyond the bounds of general overviews of historical themes of the Renaissance, and diving deeply into interpreting how we understand the period today. Each episode provides an analysis of cultural giants, stories of drama and violence, masterworks of literature, but most importantly, the art. 

These discussions are curated for not only the adept history lover, but also the general audience, as an engaging and digestible source of information for those interested in enhancing their own understanding of Western history. 
Follow us on Instagram for images and updates: @italian_renaissance_podcast

  Arts  History  Education
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Ep. 54: Rome Reborn - Pope Nicholas V

Nov 04 2024 33 mins  
Send us a textRome was a neglected swamp when Pope Nicholas V came to power. An extremely well educated humanist, Medici ally, and frequenter of the classicist circles in Florence and Bologna, Nicholas was elected pope in 1447, arriving in a city whose former glory was buried in the mud. The papacy he inherited was fragile, as it recently endured the relocation from Avignon and the

Ep. 53: Fra Filippo Lippi

Oct 21 2024 26 mins  
Send us a textLustful, unpredictable, and mischievous, Fra Filippo Lippi is a notorious figure of the Italian Renaissance. This episode surveys his life, looking primarily at three artworks: the San Lorenzo Annunciation, the Double Portrait at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and his famous Lippina. Together, these works uncover a story about a skilled artist, but one who constantly

Ep 52: San Marco, Florence - Fra Angelico, Michelozzo, and Cosimo de' Medici

Oct 07 2024 28 mins  
Send us a textSan Marco, Florence: Nowhere else does the entirety of Renaissance social history converge in such a dynamic way. Upon returning from exile in 1434, Cosimo de' Medici found himself laden with guilt over the means in which his family had acquired their massive fortune. Certainly, with Pope Eugenius IV living in Florence with the Papal Curia, there was no better time fo

Ep. 51: Renaissance Modernity - Michelozzo, Jacopo della Quercia, and Domenico Veneziano

Sep 23 2024 29 mins  
Send us a textWhat does it look like across three mediums when a new style harmonizes, and the conventions of the Middle Ages take a new form? Looking at three diverse artists and three different patrons, as well as an example of painting, sculpture, and architecture, this episode argues for the legibility of new stylistic concepts that constitute the modernity of the 15th century.

Ep. 50: Donatello

Sep 09 2024 34 mins  
Send us a textIn this monumental 50th episode, join me in discussing a likewise monumental artist of the early Renaissance: Donatello. This episode examines the landmark works of the Florentine sculptor, taking a close look at his early life, mature works, and cultural impact. Donatello skillfully navigated the practical world of civic sculpture, then became a sought-after court ar

Ep. 49: Masaccio

Aug 26 2024 26 mins  
Send us a textUndoubtedly one of the most important painters of the Florentine Renaissance, Masaccio broke the barriers of convention, producing the first monumental works in the Renaissance style. This episode discusses Masaccio's life and works, focusing on the famous Brancacci Chapel and his Holy Trinity in Santa Maria Novella. A close look at these works illuminates the effects

Ep. 48: Gothic Painting - Lorenzo Monaco and Gentile da Fabriano

Aug 12 2024 26 mins  
Send us a textThe early 1400's in Italy saw the transition from the Gothic to the Renaissance style in painting. In major areas of patronage, be it for churches or wealthy patrons, a new style flourished that was representative of the interconnectivity between European cultures and the wider Mediterranean, one that bridges the Gothic and Renaissance styles - the International Gothi

Ep. 47: Plague and War in the Early Renaissance

Jul 29 2024 28 mins  
Send us a textWhile the idea of an entirely joyous rise of Renaissance culture might sound apt for a period known for mesmerizing art and literature, history tells a different story, one of war, of plague, and of death. This episode discusses just a small amount of the social issues that contributed to the rise of Renaissance culture in Italy, from the multiple plagues that continu

Ep. 46: Intro to the Early Renaissance - Art, Literature, and the Black Death

Jul 16 2024 25 mins  
Send us a textIt is time to open the next chapter of our dive into Renaissance history, dialing back to look at the early Renaissance and the Proto-Renaissance. The terminology of periodization is loose and malleable, and brings to light of other renaissances that occurred throughout the Middle Ages. What is the difference between the way classical revival was exercised from the 8t

Ep. 45: Dr. Alan Pascuzzi, Bronze Casting and "Becoming Michelangelo."

Apr 16 2024 47 mins  
Send us a textI am joined by the Florence based artist and art historian Dr. Alan Pascuzzi for a thrilling interview about his career as an artist following the techniques of the Renaissance masters. We first discuss the process of becoming a sculptor and painter in the Renaissance techniques. He walks us through his technical process, looking closely at his recent allegorical bron