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Starting in Florence in the 14th century, a new era began to emerge in the West. People like Petrarch, who re-discovered Cicero’s lost letters, and the new humanists - who valued the study of classical antiquity - ushered in a rebirth, or as we know it today, a “renaissance" - in the study of the arts, the sciences, philosophy, and the theatre. They rediscovered what it meant to be human.
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In this episode of Renaissance, Cameron and Ray continue their exploration of Michelangelo’s life and career, digging into the family connections, social structures, and cultural forces that shaped his rise. They trace Michelangelo’s privileged entry into the Medici circle, compare his fortunes to Leonardo da Vinci’s tougher climb, and dive into Florence’s vibrant humanist culture of the late 15th century. The conversation ranges from patronage networks and family loyalty, to the artistic apprenticeship system, to Michelangelo’s sexuality and celibacy, with plenty of irreverent humour along the way. From Giovanni Rucellai’s church facades to Medici palace gossip, this episode paints a vivid portrait of how power, privilege, and art collided in the making of one of history’s greatest geniuses .
The post Renaissance #224 – Privilege, Paint, and Patronage (Michelangelo, part 2) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #223 – Mickey The Angel (Michelangelo part 1) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
In this final instalment of the First Crusade series, Cameron and Ray bring the long march to its bloody climax with the siege and fall of Jerusalem in 1099. They blend dark humour with historical detail as they recount the Crusaders’ desperate conditions, the political and religious fervour driving them, and the brutal reality of the conquest. Along the way, they explore the parallels between medieval crusading zeal and modern Christian Zionism, the strategic blunders and visions that shaped the battle, and the horrifying aftermath as the victorious Crusaders massacred Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. The episode closes by reflecting on how this slaughter reshaped Christian-Muslim relations for centuries and teeing up a return to Renaissance art in future episodes.
The post Renaissance #222 Thank Christ: The End of the First Crusade (The Crusades part 31) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #221 God Doesn’t Do Requests (The Crusades part 30) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
In this wild, irreverent, and historically sharp episode of _Renaissance_, Cam and Ray tear into the chaotic early months of 1099. As Raymond of Toulouse and the other Crusader leaders fumble their way down the Levantine coast, we get siege fails, castle bluffs, and political drama worthy of a reality TV series. Cam debuts his AI-generated theme song, shares the origin of Valentine’s Day (hint: it involves arrows — and not Cupid’s), and explains why Peter Bartholomew’s fiery trial didn’t end well for either his skin or Raymond’s reputation. Also: Trump analogies, cannibal jokes, Dexter cosplay, and a city that really doesn’t want you to finish first or last. Pure Renaissance chaos.
The post Renaissance #220 Valentine’s Day: Blood, Not Roses (The Crusades part 29) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #219 – Jerusalem or Bust (The Crusades part 28) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #218- Eat the Rich (aka the Turkish Prisoners) (The Crusades part 27) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #217- Christian Cannibals & Cowardly Crusaders (The Crusades part 26) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #210 – Jesus Starves (The Crusades part 19) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #208 – Omar Comin’ (The Crusades part 17) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
This episode finds the Crusaders marching through the Anatolian desert, doing deals with French pirates, selling their armour and watching pack animals sliding down wet mountain paths, until finally reaching the city/fortress of Tarsus - where they immediately turn on and kill each other, before eventually moving on towards Antioch. This was less a unified Christian army and more a coalition of competing interests, with each leader vying for their own piece of Muslim territory.
The post Renaissance #204 – A Coalition of Competing Interests (The Crusades part 13) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #200 – Raw Meat (The Crusades part 9) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The post Renaissance #197 – The Prince’s Crusade (The Crusades part 6) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
At the end of April in 1096, a priest by the name of Volkmar, a monk called Gottschalk, and an army from the Rhineland led by a Count Emich set off on the First Crusade with tens of thousands of soldiers and enthusiastic pilgrims... following a goose that had been inspired by God... and a holy goat. Their first order of business was to kill as many Jews as possible. Why? Because something something Jesus.
The post Renaissance #195 – The Holy Goose and the Holy Goat (The Crusades part 4) appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Our guest today, Toby Lester, has worked as a refugee affairs officer for the United Nations, helped with programmes in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, undertaken Peace Corps work in Yemen. He has written also extensively for national publications, including the Smithsonian, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The American Scholar, The Wilson Quarterly, […]
The post #138 – Toby Lester, Da Vinci’s Ghost – Leonardo da Vinci Part 27 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Taking a short break from Leonardo, our guest today is Julia Charity, an official Vatican tour guide! Julia, who originally hails from the UK, tells us how she ended up as a Vatican tour guide and about some of her favourite art on display in the Pope's fortress, including "The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo, the "Transfiguration" by her "Renaissance husband", Raphael, and the Borgia Apartments.
The post #136 – Julia & The Vatican appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Curtis Wong has had an incredible career. He has produced critically acclaimed educational CD-ROMs at Corbis and the Voyager Co., as well as the definitive editions of feature films for the Criterion Collection. He ran the Content Group at Intel, and was granted many patents at Microsoft Research. Today he joins us to tell some stories from his career, including his groundbreaking work with Bill Gates to produce the digital version of Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester.
The post #120 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 13 – Curtis Wong appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
We chat with one of the world’s leading authorities on Leonardo da Vinci – Matthew Landrus from Oxford University, author of Leonardo da Vinci’s Giant Crossbow.
The post #118 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 11 – Matthew Landrus appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
If you’re wondering “where are rest of the episodes?”, they are on our website as part of our membership program.
The post Where are rest of the episodes? appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
"Extraordinary power ... conjoined with remarkable facility, a mind of regal boldness and magnanimous daring." That's how Vasari described Leonardo da Vinci. But how much do we really know about the world's most famous artist? And how much of what we think we know is myth?
The post #108 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 1 – A Complete Bastard appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
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highly entertaining take on covering history!
Wow these guys have a real chip on their shoulder about christianity.