A Tale of Two Cities: the Myth of Florence and Siena ITAL S-153 Summer 2016

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Tale of Two Cities: the Myth of Florence and Siena ITAL S-153 Summer 2016 A Tale of Two Cities: The Myth of Florence and Siena ITAL S-153 Summer 2016 Instructor: Teaching Assistant: Professor Giuseppe Mazzotta Kyle Skinner mailto:[email protected] [email protected] Office hours by appointment Office hours by appointment Focus on the long-standing rivalry between the two cities of Tuscany, Florence, and Siena, their wars, their politics, and cultural competitiveness. Examination of the works of Florentine writers (Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio) directed against the life and history of Siena, and the angry verses of the Sienese poet Cecco Angiolieri, along with the writings of Catherine of Siena. I. Required Texts All required texts are available on classesv2. It is highly recommended that you print or download the texts prior to our departure for Siena so that you are sure to have access to them. II. Course Requirements A. Participation (10%) Participation includes your active and engaged presence both in class, discussion section, and on our trips and excursions. B. Quizzes (10% each, 30% of total grade) Three half-hour quizzes will be administered throughout the semester. A study guide will be distributed to help you prepare. C. Final paper (60%) A final paper of 5-7 pages will be due on July 19. Suggestions for topics will be distributed throughout the course, though you are encouraged to come up with your own subject. Each student will consult with Professor Mazzotta on their choice of topic by at least the fifth week of the term. N.B.: Failure to receive a passing grade for any one section of the course (participation, quizzes, or final paper) will result in a failing grade in the course. III. Schedule In general, this class meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for lectures and conversations with Professor Mazzotta on readings assigned for that day. On Wednesdays the class will meet in smaller groups with the teaching assistant for discussions and three quizzes over the course of the program. Since one of the goals of this class is to introduce you both to the intellectual worlds of Renaissance Florence and Siena and to the city of Siena as it is today, it is expected that the course schedule will be regularly altered to accommodate various field trips and excursions. New Haven May 31 Introduction to Course June 1 (no discussion section) June 2 Dante June 7 Petrarch & Boccaccio June 8 Discussion Sections June 9 Boccaccio continued & Cecco Angiolieri June 14 St. Catherine of Siena June 15 Discussion Sections Quiz 1 June 16 Savonarola & San Bernardino of Siena Siena June 19 Welcome party with host families June 21 Dati, Villani Ghiberti, Alberti June 22 Discussion Sections (with a focus the history and geography of Siena) Quiz 2 June 23 Salutati, Bruni June 24 First trip to Florence June 28 La terra in piazza June 29 Visit to the Palazzo Pubblico Cenino with a contrada in preparation for the Palio June 30 Poliziano, Fabula di Orfeo July 2 Palio July 5 Machiavelli, The Prince July 6 Visit to the Duomo Quiz 3 July 7 Machiavelli, La Mandragola July 8-10 Trip to Rome July 12 Cecchi, The Horned Owl July 13 Lecture on banking in Siena July 14 Vasari July 15 Second trip to Florence July 18 Viniculture Lecture July 19 Galileo Final Papers Due July 20 Discussion Sections July 21 Review and Conclusions .
Recommended publications
  • Path to Rome Walk May 8 to 20, 2018
    Path to Rome Walk May 8 to 20, 2018 “A delight—great food and wine, beautiful countryside, lovely hotels and congenial fellow travelers with whom to enjoy it all.” —Alison Anderson, Italian Lakes Walk, 2016 RAVEL a portion of the Via Francigena, the pilgrimage route that linked T Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages, following its route north of Rome through olive groves, vineyards and ancient cypress trees. Discover the pleasures of Central Italy’s lesser-known cities, such as Buonconvento, Bolsena, Caprarola and Calcata. With professor of humanities Elaine Treharne as our faculty leader and Peter Watson as our guide, we refresh our minds, bodies and souls on our walks, during which we stop to picnic on hearty agrarian cuisine and enjoy the peace and quiet that are hallmarks of these beautiful rural settings. At the end of our meanderings, descend from the hills of Rome via Viale Angelico to arrive at St. Peter’s Basilica, the seat of Catholicism and home to a vast store of art treasures, including the Sistine Chapel. Join us! Faculty Leader Professor Elaine Treharne joined the Stanford faculty in 2012 in the School of Humanities and Sciences as a Professor of English. She is also the director of the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis. Her main research focuses on early medieval manuscripts, Old and Middle English religious poetry and prose, and the history of handwriting. Included in that research is her current project, which looks at the materiality of textual objects, together with the patterns that emerge in the long history of text technologies, from the earliest times (circa 70,000 B.C.E.) to the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • “Saint Peter's by the Sea”
    “Saint Peter’s by the Sea” A Spiritual Pilgrimage to Rome and Sicily Rome, Vatican City, Taormina, Castelmola, Mount Etna, Castlebuono, Cefalu’, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina and Siracusa A twelve Day Italian Journey April 29th – May 10th, 2019 “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” ~ Goethe KEYROW TOURS 60 Georgia Road Trumansburg, New York 14886 Tel: 315.491.3711 Day#1: Departure for Italy Monday: April 29th, 2019 In conjunction with AAA Travel (Ithaca, NY), Keyrow Tours is pleased to make all flight arrangements, including primary flights originating from anywhere in the United States, and international flights. We will depart from a major international airport located on the east coast of the United States (most likely Boston) and fly directly into Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci Airport. Transportation to and from your primary airport of departure is each person’s responsibility. “What is the fatal charm of Italy? What do we find there that can be found nowhere else? I believe it is a certain permission to be human, which other places, other countries, lost long ago.” ~ Erica Jong KEYROW TOURS 60 Georgia Road Trumansburg, New York 14886 Tel: 315.491.3711 Day #2: From Pagan Temples to Patrimonial Churches Tuesday: April 30th, 2019 Morning arrival at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, Rome After passport control and collecting our luggage, private minivans will transfer us to our hotel, located in Rome’s historical center. Pranzo! (Light lunch included) Time to shower and unpack The Centro Storico (Historic Center) A.) Campo Dei Fiori Rome’s daily farmer’s market is a five minute walk from our hotel: fresh vegetables and fruits, cheese, meats and fish.
    [Show full text]
  • San Gimignano, Siena, Monteriggioni & Chianti
    SAN GIMIGNANO, SIENA, MONTERIGGIONI & CHIANTI Crossing the beautiful Chianti hills we arrive at the Medieval hilltop gem of MONTERIGGIONI, with its still intact walls and the real atmosphere of olden times. Our day continues to SIENA: follow our guide to the suggestive Piazza del Campo, where the magnifi cent Palazzo Pubblico stands, with its Torre del Mangia. Visit Piazza del Duomo and be impressed by the imposing Cathedral, one of the fi nest achievements of Italian Gothic. Before leaving Siena you will be served a light lunch in a cozy restaurant where, together with genuine Tuscan products, you will savour traditional pastries. The next stop is SAN GIMIGNANO, celebrated for its white wine Vernaccia and its skyscrapers also declared a World heritage Site by UNESCO! The visit is free for independent sightseeing, strolling around the narrow streets and admiring the relaxing panorama. Afterwards, we move into the CHIANTI area, with its picture-postcard landscapes.You have the chance to taste the best Chianti red wine on a rustic wine estate along with home-made snacks. Please note that the given order of the visits may change. INCLUDED SERVICES Journey by fully-fi tted GT Coach Tasting of traditional pastries of Siena Expert multilingual escort Sampling of wines, extra-virgin Siena tour with professional olive oil and regional products guide Free visit of San Gimignano Visit to a wine estate and Monteriggioni Light lunch in a cozy restaurant Free pick up on request at fi xed in Siena locations 16 LUNCH SCAN ME INCLUDED ON BOARD AND BOOK SCAN MENOW! AND BOOK NOW! CATEGORY PRICES ADULTS €67 CHILDREN (4/12 y.o.) €33.50 CHILDREN (0/3 y.o.) €0 M T W T F S S 8.45 AM, CHECK-IN 8.25 AM 10 HOUR 30’ TOUR MEETING POINT TICKETS & NEWS Kiosk at Piazzale Montelungo Bus Terminal, behind Santa Maria Novella Train Station.
    [Show full text]
  • The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
    National Gallery of Art NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ONLINE EDITIONS Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries Paolo di Giovanni Fei Sienese, c. 1335/1345 - 1411 The Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple 1398-1399 tempera on wood transferred to hardboard painted surface: 146.1 × 140.3 cm (57 1/2 × 55 1/4 in.) overall: 147.2 × 140.3 cm (57 15/16 × 55 1/4 in.) Samuel H. Kress Collection 1961.9.4 ENTRY The legend of the childhood of Mary, mother of Jesus, had been formed at a very early date, as shown by the apocryphal Gospel of James, or Protoevangelium of James (second–third century), which for the first time recounted events in the life of Mary before the Annunciation. The iconography of the presentation of the Virgin that spread in Byzantine art was based on this source. In the West, the episodes of the birth and childhood of the Virgin were known instead through another, later apocryphal source of the eighth–ninth century, attributed to the Evangelist Matthew. [1] According to this account of her childhood, Mary, on reaching the age of three, was taken by her parents, together with offerings, to the Temple of Jerusalem, so that she could be educated there. The child ascended the flight of fifteen steps of the temple to enter the sacred building, where she would continue to live, fed by an angel, until she reached the age of fourteen. [2] The legend linked the child’s ascent to the temple and the flight of fifteen steps in front of it with the number of Gradual Psalms.
    [Show full text]
  • The Best of Renaissance Florence April 28 – May 6, 2019
    Alumni Travel Study From Galleries to Gardens The Best of Renaissance Florence April 28 – May 6, 2019 Featuring Study Leader Molly Bourne ’87, Professor of Art History and Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Renaissance Art at Syracuse University Florence Immerse yourself in the tranquil, elegant beauty of Italy’s grandest gardens and noble estates. Discover the beauty, drama, and creativity of the Italian Renaissance by spending a week in Florence—the “Cradle of the Renaissance”—with fellow Williams College alumni. In addition to a dazzling array of special openings, invitations into private homes, and splendid feasts of Tuscan cuisine, this tour offers the academic leadership of Molly Bourne (Williams Class of ’87), art history professor at Syracuse University Florence. From the early innovations of Giotto, Brunelleschi, and Masaccio to the grand accomplishments of Michelangelo, our itinerary will uncover the very best of Florence’s Renaissance treasury. Outside of Florence, excursions to delightful Siena and along the Piero della Francesca trail will provide perspectives on the rise of the Renaissance in Tuscany. But the program is not merely an art seminar—interactions with local food and wine experts, lunches inside beautiful private homes, meanders through stunning private gardens, and meetings with traditional artisans will complement this unforgettable journey. Study Leader MOLLY BOURNE (BA Williams ’87; PhD Harvard ’98) has taught art history at Syracuse University Florence since 1999, where she is also Coordinator of their Master’s Program in Renaissance Art History. A member of the Accademia Nazionale Virgiliana, she has also served as project researcher for the Medici Archive Project and held a fellowship at Villa I Tatti, the Harvard Center for Renaissance Studies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fountains of Siena
    Guide to Siena and the Senese: www.siena-guide.com THE FOUNTAINS OF SIENA Being a city without a river, Siena has to depend on water from elsewhere. In the Middle Ages, the city arranged to bring water from the hills in underground channels (bottini) which emerge in “fountains” (fonti) all over the city, from which the citizens drew the water for their needs. The larger ones had three pools feeding into each other; the first and highest one was for drinking water; the next for watering animals and the third for laundry. Water flowing from the third pool then went on to operate mills or irrigate gardens. Many of these fountains were housed in architecturally distinguished buildings. Many fell into disrepair, but quite a few still have water coming into them and a society has been formed for their preservation and that of the bottini, called the Associazione La Diana (named after a mythical river that was supposed to have run beneath Siena). Someone with time on their hands and a taste for urban walking (they are very spread out) could do worse than go on a fountain crawl. Fonte Gaia The best known is the Fonte Gaia (or Fountain of Joy) in the Piazza del Campo. The city employed Jacopo della Quercia (c.1374-1438), Siena’s most famous sculptor, to give it a beautiful carved marble surround. Unfortunately, over the years it deteriorated and della Quercia’s work was replaced in 1858 by a replica – although without two of the original naked statues which the prudish 19th century city fathers decided were unsuitable for public view.
    [Show full text]
  • Trek Urbano-Giovani Espl-ING
    notepad useful numbers WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK TOURIST INFORMATION APT SIENA Tel. 0577.280551 Urban Trekking Panforte, Ricciarelli, local TOUR GUIDE ASSOCIATION OF THE CITY AND PROVINCE OF SIENA Tel. 0577.43273 Urban cinta pork salami, pecorino TAXI - ACTIVE 24 HOURS A DAY - Tel. 0577.49222 Trekking for cheese EMERGENCY ROOM POLICLINICO LE SCOTTE Tel. 0577.585807-0577.585809 trekking WHAT TO BUY in Siena young explorers Wooden balls and tin air check horses with the colors of the Air check is an “environmental traffic light” contradas, toy carts and bells Y Urban trekking is a sport that measures the level of air quality. ou are the star of this adventure. We shall WHAT TO SEE for all. Following an The polluting agents monitored by it are carbon dioxide, explore the secret parts of Siena and you can Accademia dei Fisiocritici, Church of San itinerary on foot through hilly city streets does not Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi, Church of San ozone, and noise. The green light means excellent air tell your friends that you discovered a Domenico, Church of San Francesco, Church of Santa Maria quality, yellow indicates fair quality, and red indicates a fantastic city among the museums, parks, require any special training. It is a perfect way of in Provenzano, Baptistry of San Giovanni, Saint Catherine heavily polluted atmosphere. fountains, games, shows, and ghosts. Ready toning up the mind and body for everyone who is of Siena’s house and sanctuary, Cathedral, Church of forced to live in cramped spaces and feels the need Sant’Agostino, Church of Santa Lucia, Santa Maria della to start? One, two, three: GO!!! IN COOPERATION WITH Scala museum complex, Children’s Art Museum, Cathedral AUTOMOBILE CLUB D'ITALIA to liberate pent-up energies.
    [Show full text]
  • Academic Preparation
    ACADEMIC YEAR IN ITALY Gap Year & Foundation Year Table of contents 1. About The Italian Academy 2. About Siracusa 3. Ten​ reasons ​to join our Academic Year programs 4. Gap Year 5. Foundation Year 6. Accommodation Guide 7. Services & Activities www.​theitalianacademy​.com 1 Views of the campus About The Italian Academy - - - - For over 30 years the Italian Academy has been offering quality Italian language classes In the heart of the enchanting city of Siracusa. Students choose from a wide range of courses, taught in our international campus, and extracurricular activities to explore the history, culture and natural beauty of the island of SIcily. As a ​University of Siena certification center, the Italian Academy provides CILS (Certificate of Italian Language for Foreigners) and DITALS (Certificate for Teachers of Italian language) certification. All our courses, which are taught by a team of expert and highly qualified native Italian teachers, are based on innovative methodology and are in line with the European Framework for Language Acquisition. www.​theitalianacademy​.com 2 “ Our mission is to ensure that each student’s experience in Sicily is truly inspiring. We are committed to setting the gold-standard for quality language and culture programs in Italy. Ann Byrne, ​School Director ” About Siracusa - - - - Siracusa (or Syracuse), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a treasure trove for all lovers of arts and the dolce vita lifestyle. Located on the south-eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily​, it was once the largest and most powerful city in the Mediterranean; the wealth of art and precious architecture bear witness to the passage of many glorious civilizations.
    [Show full text]
  • Classic Tuscany Tour Facts Sheet
    Self-Guided Bicycle Tours in Italy: Classic Tuscany Cycling from Florence to Pisa Self-Guided Bicycle Tours in Italy: Classic Tuscany Tour Facts Sheet The best way to explore one of Italy's most famous regions, Tuscany, is to cycle through it while enjoying the perfect blend of culture, cuisine, history, and rolling scenery. Tuscany is known for its earthy wines, rich art history, architecture, and its welcoming people. Walk through living history in the vibrant cities of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa. From Piazza della Signoria in Florence to Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, through Siena, San Gimignano and Lucca. This bicycle tour starts at the heart of Tuscany, along the "wine route", where you'll see the production of Chianti and other wines. Enjoy a wine tasting in one the numerous wine cellars of this area. After Siena our bicycle tour continues to San Gimignano, famous for its adorning towers, and Lucca, known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city center. Lastly, you'll visit Pisa and its leaning tower. Join us and experience Tuscany by bicycle. Renaissance Florence, wines and vineyards of Chianti, a stroll in the majestic Piazza del Campo in Siena, San Highlights Gimignano and its medieval towers, the leaning tower of Pisa, great views from world-famous hills €1270 per person sharing a double room Single supplement: €290 (solo travelers pay €800) Price GROUP DISCOUNTS 5% (6 people or more) Please note that a High-Season Supplement fee may apply for May and September 7-night accommodation in 3-4 stars hotels or Includes farmhouses; all breakfasts; roadbook and map; GPS with preloaded tracks; luggage transfers Countries Italy Begin/End Florence/Pisa Arrive/ Florence Airport (FLR) / Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) Depart Visit our website for tour dates, price and Total full itinerary description at 348 - 352 km (217 - 220 miles) Distance Cycleeurope.com.
    [Show full text]
  • A Spiritual & Cultural Journey to Italy
    A Spiritual & Cultural Journey to Italy Including Assisi, Florence, Siena, Rome and More! Under the Spiritual Direction of Fr. Joe Marcoux Designed for St. Catherine of Siena Church, Ithaca, New York Group Coordinator: Ann Marie Eckert, Pastoral Associate 11 Days: May 13 to 23, 2019 AN INVITATION TO JOIN US Dear Friends, We are pleased to invite you to join us on a pilgrimage to beautiful Italy. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place to deepen our faith through prayer and experience. Pilgrimages bring us closer to God by leading us along paths of new discovery. Our trip to Italy will give us much to discover! You will experience the presence of God in the holy places that have played a central role in the life of the Church. We will explore Assisi, Siena, and Rome, where Fr. Joe Marcoux we will celebrate Mass, pray, experience good Christian community, and deepen our awareness of how God has worked in the lives of the saints and continues to work in our lives. Other great experiences await us as well: wine tasting, shopping, art museums, cafes, beautiful vistas, and, of course, great Italian food and wine throughout the pilgrimage. Whether you’ve been to Italy many times or this is your first trip abroad, we hope this pilgrimage will make memories for a lifetime. We look forward to traveling with you! Ann Marie Eckert Fr. Joe Marcoux Ann Marie Eckert Pastor, St. Catherine of Siena Pastoral Associate, St. Catherine of Siena OUR DAILY ITINERARY MONDAY, MAY 13, DAY 1: DEPART FOR ROME: We depart Medici Family and Machiavelli.
    [Show full text]
  • Maestà (Madonna and Child with Four Angels) C
    National Gallery of Art NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ONLINE EDITIONS Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries Master of Città di Castello Italian, active c. 1290 - 1320 Maestà (Madonna and Child with Four Angels) c. 1290 tempera on panel painted surface: 230 × 141.5 cm (90 9/16 × 55 11/16 in.) overall: 240 × 150 × 2.4 cm (94 1/2 × 59 1/16 × 15/16 in.) framed: 252.4 x 159.4 x 13.3 cm (99 3/8 x 62 3/4 x 5 1/4 in.) Samuel H. Kress Collection 1961.9.77 ENTRY This panel, of large dimensions, bears the image of the Maestà represented according to the iconographic tradition of the Hodegetria. [1] This type of Madonna and Child was very popular among lay confraternities in central Italy; perhaps it was one of them that commissioned the painting. [2] The image is distinguished among the paintings of its time by the very peculiar construction of the marble throne, which seems to be formed of a semicircular external structure into which a circular seat is inserted. Similar thrones are sometimes found in Sienese paintings between the last decades of the thirteenth and the first two of the fourteenth century. [3] Much the same dating is suggested by the delicate chrysography of the mantles of the Madonna and Child. [4] Recorded for the first time by the Soprintendenza in Siena c. 1930 as “tavola preduccesca,” [5] the work was examined by Richard Offner in 1937. In his expertise, he classified it as “school of Duccio” and compared it with some roughly contemporary panels of the same stylistic circle.
    [Show full text]
  • 3 Singing from the Pulpit : Improvised Polyphony and Public Ritual In
    55 3 Singing from the Pulpit : Improvised Polyphony and Public Ritual in Medieval Tuscany BENJAMIN BRAND Among the most distinctive features of late medieval churches were the screens that marked the division between the choir and the nave. Known variously as “rood screens,” “jubés ,” or “ Lettner,” they have traditionally been viewed as barriers that divided the clergy from the laity and thus accentu- ated the exclusivity of the mass and offi ce liturgies celebrated in the east end of the church. Only recently have they been recognized as facilitating com- munication between clerics and laypeople. Just as preachers delivered ser- mons in the vernacular from atop the screens, so these structures featured sculptural reliefs that depicted stories from the bible in a naturalistic style comprehensible to the laity and aptly described as a “visual vernacular.” 1 Equally important, the screens were sites of musical performances. At Notre Dame of Paris, for instance, the canons typically sang organum (i.e. polyph- ony) at High Mass from the eagle lectern situated in the middle of the choir behind (and at some distance from) the jubé . 2 On select Christological and Marian feasts, however, they fi rst processed to the crucifi x atop the screen, where as many as six of them sang a responsory verse polyphonically. 3 Th e following abbreviations denote libraries and archives: ACPist = Archivio Capitolare, Pistoia; BCIS = Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena; BCL = Biblioteca Capitolare, Lucca; BGV = Biblioteca Guarnacci, Volterra; BRF = Biblioteca Riccardiana, Florence; BUB = Biblioteca Universitaria, Bologna. 1 J . E . J u n g , Th e Gothic Screen: Space, Sculpture, and Community in the Cathedrals of France and Germany, ca.
    [Show full text]