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Home , History of Florence

Santa Reparata International School of Art

Course Syllabus

Semester: Spring 2017 Course Title: History of Course Number: HIST389 Meeting times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:35 pm-3:55 pm Location: Room 207, Main Campus, Piazza Indipendenza Instructor: Professor Lorenzo Pubblici Ph.D. E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays, 4:00-5:00pm, but don’t hesitate writing to my email address for any problem or doubt.

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course will guide the student in the history of Florence in order to make clear the birth of this worldwide beloved city and understand the history of Italy, its contradictions and divisions, but also its great art, literature and political development. The Students will be presented with an interdisciplinary overview of the history of Florence until the end of the and the beginning of Modern Era. The most prominent characters of the Florentine history will be presented one by one, through visits on site.

2. CONTENT INTRODUCTION:

This is a course designed to help students to explore the historical background of Florence, its artistic riches and how the city grew and developed until it became one of the most important political centers of the Medieval world. Following a roughly chronological order, it will provide a deep analysis of local and national politics as well as theology, philosophy, economy and architecture of the time. The name Florence comes from the Latin Florentia, the city of the flowers. We will discover together why it was given this name.

3. COURSE RATIONALE :

The course is particularly recommended to all those students that want to gain an in-depth knowledge of the history of Florence, from every point of view and focused on the golden age of the city: the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. 4. PREREQUISITES:

As this course is an introduction to the history of Florence, there are no special requirements to attend it.

5. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

This course is intended to provide students – whether they are majors in History, Political Science or whether they have taken only an introductory course – with particular answers to the question "what is Florence and what is Italy?". It is intended to stimulate discussion and critical thinking about representations and idealizations of the concept of the city, with particular regard to Florence, its role during the Ancient times and the Middle Ages, and then the Renaissance and its contribution to the construction of Modern Italy.

Students will develop their awareness and understanding of the major historical and political issues that characterize Florence, and they will be able to trace them through the history of its origin to the Renaissance.

Students should gain a command not only of the "facts" of the history of Florence. The dates of key events; the importance of major personalities and such, but also come to understand the dynamics involved such as the basic trends of continuity and change; and the cause and effect and the role and influence of regional, national and international events in the Florentine historical and political scenario.

6. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS:

Students are required to take notes from class and will find assignments and reading on the SRISA website in the MYSRISA section. Only registered students can access this section. To obtain your login credentials please ask the professor.

Timeline: Students may find a timeline on the history of Florence here.

Textbooks used during the course; students are required to read at least two of the following (one per section):

A. General on the historical period

1. Abbagnano, Nicola, Renaissance in Philip P. Wiener, ed. The Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas, (1974). See online edition. 2. Burckhardt, Jacob, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860), a famous classic; excerpt and text search 2007 edition; also complete text online. 3. Campbell, Gordon, The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance (2003). 4000 entries in 862 pp.; online at OUP 4. Cook, James Wyatt. Encyclopedia of Renaissance Literature. (2005). 598 pp. 5. Ferguson, Wallace K. Europe in Transition, 1300–1520 (1962). 6. Fletcher, Stella, The Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe, 1390-1530. (2000). 347 pp. 7. Grendler, Paul F., ed. The Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students. (2003). 970 pp. 8. Hale, John, The Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance. (1994). 648 pp. excerpt and text search 9. Hattaway, Michael, ed. A Companion to English Renaissance Literature and Culture. (2000). 747 pp. 10. Johnson, Paul, The Renaissance: A Short History. (2000). 197 pp. excerpt and text search 11. Nauert, Charles G. Historical Dictionary of the Renaissance. (2004). 541 pp. 12. Plumb, J. H. The (2001) excerpt and text search 13. Ruggiero, Guido, ed. A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance. (2002). 561 pp. 14. Rundle, David, ed. The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. (1999). 434 pp. online edition 15. Speake, Jennifer and Bergin, Thomas G., eds. Encyclopedia of the Renaissance and the Reformation. (2004). 550 pp. 16. Turner, Jane, ed. Encyclopedia of Italian Renaissance and Mannerist Art. (2 v. 2000), 1881 pp. excerpts from Grove's Dictionaries.

B. On Florence 1. John Stephens, The Italian Renaissance: The Origins of Intellectual and Artistic Change Be- fore the Reformation, Routledge 2014.

2. Samuel Kline Cohn, The Laboring Classes in Renaissance Florence, Elsevier 2013.

3. Brian J. Maxon, The Humanist World of Renaissance Florence, Cambridge University Press 2013. 4. Brian Jeffrey Maxsons, The Humanist World of Renaissance Florence, Cambridge University Press 2013.

5. John M. Najemi, A History of Florence 1200-1575, Blackwell 2008 6. Elizabeth S. Cohen-Thomas V. Cohen, Daily life in Renaissance Italy, Greenwood 2008. 7. Mary McCarthy, The stones of Florence, Harvest 2002.

8. Gene Brucker, Florence : The golden age, University of California Press 1998. 9. Richard Turner, Renaissance Florence: The invention of a new art, Prentice 1997. 10.Richard Trexler, Public life in Renaissance Florence, Cornell 1991.

NOTE:

1. Not all of these books are available at the school’s library. Handouts will be given by the instructor at the beginning of class when necessary. 2. Further readings will be required and indicated by the professor in class and individually according to the student’s interests. 3. The primary sources used and discussed in class are online at this address: http:// www.santareparata.org/protected/?page_id=51&title=history-of-florence-primary-sources- page (you must be a registered MYSRISA user to access the page; click here to register to MYSRISA)

7. GRADING POLICY AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES: 20% Attendance 20% Class participation 20% Mid-term test 20% Final Paper 20% Final exam

Following grading system will be observed: A Excellent 4.0 (95% -100%) A- 3.7, (90% to 94%) B+ 3.3 (87% to 89%) B Above Average 3.0 (83% to 86%) B- 2.7 (80% to 82%) C+ 2.3 (77% to 79%) C Average 2.0 (73% to 76%) C- 1.7 (70% to 72%) D Below Average 1.0 (60% to 69%) F Failure 0.0 (59% and below) W Withdrawal 0.0

8. EXAMS

There is a Mid-term Test and a Final Exam for this course. No make-ups are allowed for the exams and the dates of the exams CANNOT be changed for any reason. If a student misses the Final exam, the final grade will be an “F”.

Mid-term Test (20% of final grade) The exam will last one hour. It will consist of 10 specific essay questions about the assigned readings and the lectures. Final Exam (20 % of final grade) The exam will last one hour. It will consist of 10 specific essay questions about the assigned readings and the lectures. If you need to consult with the instructor on any academic question, it is possible to do so by appointment – this should be set up the week before. Guidelines for Final Paper (20% of final grade) The length of the paper should be a minimum of 8 pages and a maximum of 12. A full bibliography must be included at the end of the paper. Web sites consulted should also be cited. All direct quotations from published sources should be acknowledged in your text immediately following the quotation. This is to avoid any inadvertent plagiarism. All papers should be handed personally to the instructor before the final exam review session. If you need to consult with the instructor on anything relating to the final papers (or indeed on any academic question) it is possible to do so by appointment – this should be set up the week before. In the week preceding exams – both mid-term and finals – ‘Office Hours’ will be held at a time and place to be announced.

9. ATTENDANCE AND BEHAVIOR POLICY: Students may miss up to 2 classes with no penalty to their grade. Students who miss 3 class will have their grade lowered by one letter grade for each additional absence. For example, if you have an “A” in this class and you are absent 3 times you will receive a “B” in the course.

If you are absent more than 4 times you will receive an “F” on your transcript.

· Tardiness: After 10 minutes into class time, students are considered absent. · Students who leave 10 minutes before class time ends will be considered absent. · Excused absences require a doctor’s note or a written note from the Director. · Arriving in class unprepared to work is considered an unexcused absence. · The use of cellular phones is prohibited during class time. · Students are expected to participate in class, act responsibly, and behave properly while on the school premises. Classrooms are to be left in order and clean. Students must take care of equipment and materials and promptly report any damage and/or loss. No eating or drinking in class.

10. COURSE CALENDAR:

Etruscan and Ancient Roman Florence, the beginning • Tuscany and the Etruscans. WEEK 1 • The Foundation of Florence, Florence as a Roman Province. • Emperors Hadrian, Diocletian and the Goddess Isis in Florence • Florence as capital of Etruria-

The Early Middle Ages in Florence, warfare and resurrection WEEK 2 • The Barbarian invasions and Florence: the Goths • The Byzantines and Florence • The Lombard invasion: a real decline? Florence and the Carolingian Empire: Feudalism in Italy WEEK 3 • and Florence • Rethinking Early Medieval Florence: what was the Feudalism? • Early Medieval Florence and Modern Italy

The Full Middle Ages. Birth of a world myth • The reorganization of the Florentine territory: WEEK 4 1. Florence and its river 2. Florence and the monastic orders: Franciscans and Dominicans 3. Florence and the 11th century’s Reform of the Church

Florence as a city-State: 1. Foreign policy WEEK 5 • Florence, Gregory 7th and the Emperor Henry 4th • Florence and the crusade

Florence as a city-State: 2. Internal policy WEEK 6 • 1177-1180: the first civil war in Florence • The birth of the city guild (Arti) • Florence and Tuscany. A troubled relation The new city institutions • The power of city-guilds WEEK 7 • The Consoli and Podestà • Between the Emperor and the Pope: Guelfi e Ghibellini • Vendetta as a political language

From apogee to the disaster: pre-Renaissance Florence • One of the largest cities in the world: 14th century Florence • Florentine economy, wealth and bankrupt WEEK 8 • Florence and the International trade • The Black plague in Europe and Florence, some stereotypes to disband • Famine, economy and political crisis

Midterm exam: Thursday March 2nd

Spring Break: 3-12 March

Humanism in Florence. A cultural revolution • The rise of the Medici family. A new power in Italy WEEK 9 • The Council of Florence. The attempt to pacify the Oriental church and the Western one. Many intellectual from all over are in Florence • Lorenzo il Magnifico and the glory of Florence

Renaissance Florence. The new capital of the world WEEK 10 • Florence as a Territorial State, a new concept for the future of Italy Renaissance Literature • The rediscovery of Classic Literature WEEK 11 • Niccolò Machiavelli e Francesco Guicciardini • The Reformation and Florence

Renaissance Art

• Why Florence? WEEK 12 • Leon Battista Alberti and • and • Brunelleschi and the new architecture

WEEK 13 Renaissance Philosophy, the Careggi new platonic School

Renaissance Politics

WEEK 14 • Leonardo Bruni • Lorenzo e Cosimo de’ Medici • Pope Julius 2nd

WEEK 15 Final Exam

Visits on site:

1. Ancient Church of Santa Reparata (under the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)

2. and the 1980’s excavations. Discovering the thermal baths of ancient Roman Florence

3. Florence’s Tower Houses

4. Dante’s (fake) house in the heart of Florence. The (true) neighboring

5. Biblioteca Nazionale, the most important librarian institution of Europe 6. A field trip to Piazzale Michelangelo and Boboli garden

7. Villa and Giardino Bardini

Prof. Lorenzo Pubblici Ph.D.