Italian Renaissance
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The Meaning of Christmas? Madonna and Child
The Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus was perhaps the favorite theme of Christian artists in the Middle Ages. In the Renaissance, the artistic adoration of the holy mother and child continued with masterpieces from Raphael, Botticelli and Lippi.
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Home Dolce Home
As we nestle into our centrally-heated houses for the winter, let's take a look at the kinds of homes and household goods Italian families had during the Renaissance.
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A Renaissance Herbal II
Here's part two of the Medieval and Renaissance Herbal. These herbs were particularly useful for healing everything from bloody noses to insanity. Some are still in use today
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Where have all the copperplate engravers gone?
Many old professions disappeared with the industrial revolution and handworkers were replaced by assembly lines and machines. I've found a rich source for the old world of jobs that are now obsolete.
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A Renaissance Herbal I
Herbs have found a new popularity today. But in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, they were already the cooking, healing and aromatic tools of choice.
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What's in a Name?
Everything. From superstitions to geography to the most beloved saints, a wealth of traditions and concerns went into choosing a newborn's name.
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Dante's Divine Comedy, a Pre-Renaissance Classic
When Dante wrote his famous Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso, it was the 13th century and most of Europe was still medieval. But in the centuries to follow, scholars who read the Commedia declared it to be one of the first glimmers of what would soon be the Renaissance.
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Do you take this woman... Marriage in the Renaissance
A Renaissance girl's role was to marry and have children. But it was usually no Romeo and Juliet story...
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Velvet, Silk and Baubles: Costume of the Italian Renaissance
I'm not much of a clothes horse myself, but I'm fascinated by the fashions of the past. In the Italian Renaissance, the wealthier men and women dressed so sumptuously that there were laws against it.
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St. Bernardino of Siena
In an age when piety was on the decline, Bernardino's folky preaching reminded the people of their faith.
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Life Before Chocolate
Three savory recipes give examples of the good eatin' to be had in the Renaissance.
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Need a Good Book?
Good books on the Italian Renaissance are easy to come by. Here are some of my favorites.
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The Nude Beauty
Michelangelo´s David-- the perfect man with or without the well-positioned leaf.
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St. Peter´s Basilica: The Church to End all Churches
Who could go to Rome without visiting St. Peter´s Basilica, a triumph of Italian Renaissance art and architecture?
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Who, What, When 1400-1500
Nothing tells you what happened when more efficiently than a timeline. Browse this who´s who and what´s what of the early Renaissance and stay tuned for more.
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In Like a Knight...Part 2
Gunpowder won out over the sword and shield in war. Renaissance soldiers found killing with gun and cannon more efficient...And so did their enemies.
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In Like a Knight, Out Like a Cannon, Part One
War in the Renaissance changed from a reliance on armored knights with sword and shield to a focus on infantry and the power of gunpowder.
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Renaissance Italy: A Dysfunctional Family
The power-hungry city-states of Renaissance Italy made war, peace, and war again. Over and over-- for centuries.
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There´s Something About Italy
Italy has something that has made it a leading player in European history for more than 2,000 years.
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