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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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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.
1We 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.
Leonardo’s earliest surviving work of art is a landscape sketch of Vinci in his notebook dating from 1473 when he was 21 years old. The earliest surviving painting is BAPTISM OF CHRIST, a collaboration with his old master, Verrocchio (as seen in Marketing The Messiah). On this episode, we go deep on both works of art, looking at what made Leonardo da Vinci different from his contemporaries.
The post #111 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 4 – Manscaping Jesus appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Leonardo's first known artwork is a Frankenstein monster and he invents sfumato.
The post #110 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 3 – Frankenstein’s Monster appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
We examine Leonardo's writing style, and his apprenticeship at age 14 to Andrea del Verrocchio, an Italian painter, sculptor, and goldsmith, because even geniuses need a master to learn from (despite what The Queen's Gambit will have you believe).
The post #109 – Leonardo da Vinci Part 2 – Back And To The Left 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.
Savonarola was notified that he and his closest colleagues had been condemned to die. His most ardent believers had faith that the Lord would save him at the last minute, but, yet again, God didn't show up for work. At 1pm, May 23, 1498, they were degraded then burned in the Piazza della Signoria. And now Florence needs to get its shit together. Do they bring back the Medici? Join the Holy League? And what can they learn from the Savonarola episode?
The post #107 – Savonarola Part 14 – Savonarola Burns appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
The trials of Savonarola begin. First he is put on trial by the Signoria of Florence for his political interference. Then he is put on trial by the Pope for his religious accusations and claims of prophecy. This being Catholic Italy, part of the trial involves torture - the strappado. Under torture Savonarola confesses to making everything up and being a big old fake.
The post #106 – Savonarola Part 13 – Strappado appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
With Charles out of the picture, Piero de Medici figures it’s time for him to return to Florence. He marched into Tuscany with a force of four hundred lancers, light cavalry, and foot soldiers. Unfortunately, nobody shows up to welcome him and he goes back into exile. But his attempt at a return sets off a series of political assassinations in Florence, supported by Savonarola. Civil tensions increase until a Franciscan friar challenges Savonarola to trial by fire. When this doesn’t work out as planned, the people are furious and Savonarola gets thrown into prison.
The post #105 – Savonarola Part 12 – Trial By Fire appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
A miracle prevents Mad Max from invading Italy and Savonarola’s prophetic credentials continue to rise. But he still wants Florence to purify itself further so he orders his first Bonfire Of The Vanities.
The post #104 – Savonarola Part 11 – Bonfire Of The Vanities appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Yes, we’re still talking about Savonarola! Deal with it! On this episode, Savonarola refuses the Pope’s summons to go to Rome and to stop preaching. He uses the ol’ Bill Clinton defence. During some of his downtime, one of his colleagues offers to go through a trial by fire to prove how much God loves Savonarola. And when he returns to preaching, Savonarola demands for blood to be spilled by anyone who criticises “his” signoria and decides to build the Hitler Youth to force Florence into being good little Christians. But then the Holy Roman Emperor sets sail for Italy with an armada to kick out the French and Florence yet again needs to choose a side - Savonarola or the Pope?
The post #103 – Savonarola Part 10 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
By early 1495, Savonarola managed to get control of the Great Council of Florence and has his reforms passed. He may not be gonfaloniere, but he is a political force. He soon gets one of his own followers elected gonfaloniere and then has complete control over the city. Then he started arguing to shut down more fun things. Sodomy, dancing, poetry, prostitution, blasphemy - he's the anti-Lorenzo. Meanwhile King Charles of France and the Pope go to war and Florence is forced to choose between the King, who Savonarola has said is the agent of God, and the Pope. When they choose the King, Savonarola ends up on the Pope's naughty list - and his future suddenly looks dim.
The post #102 – Savonarola Part 9 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
With the Medici and the French both gone from Florence, Savonarola tries to influence the new Signoria to pass significant reforms - but they ignore him. Then another enemy appears - this time, a religious rival. Feeling like he wasn't appreciated, Savonarola eventually spat the dummy and said he wanted to leave Florence once and for all. Meanwhile, on November 17, the day Charles VIII and his troops entered Florence, Pico della Mirandola died at the age of thirty-two - only two months after his friend and possibly lover, Poliziano, who died aged only 40. They were poisoned - possibly on the orders of the exiled Piero de Medici.
The post #101 – Savonarola Part 8 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Savonarola meets with King Charles VIII of France in Pisa, calling himself a prophet of God and telling Charles that he was the instrument of God's divine plan. Then he returns to Florence where the Medici have been kicked out and he congratulates the Florentines on a bloodless revolution. But, he says - there is still more work to be done to get back into God's favour. Shortly after, the King arrives in Florence with 9000 troops - and announces he wants them to bring back Piero de Medici.
The post #100 – Savonarola Part 7 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
Savonarola’s predictions that God was going to punish the Florentines seem to be coming true when, in 1494, King Charles VIII of France invades Italy to take control of Naples. On his way south, he also threatens to attack Florence. When Piero de Medici tries to negotiate a settlement, it’s a complete failure. So the Signoria send Savonarola to meet with the king instead.
The post #99 – Savonarola Part 6 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
In 1492, Lorenzo The Magnificent died. His heir was his eldest son, 20 year old Piero de’ Medici, a useless turd. The Pope died soon afterwards and was replaced by the corrupt Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI. Savonarola proclaimed that the “Sword of the Lord” would soon descend upon Florence to punish it for its wicked ways. In this case, the sword would soon be carried another 20 year old ruler - King Charles VIII of France.
The post #98 – Savonarola Part 5 appeared first on The Renaissance Times.
In his sermons in early 1491, Savonarola attacked the people and priests who thought of Christianity as a merely ceremonial religion. He also criticised how ignorant the people were of the doctrines of Christianity, ‘thieving priests’ who sold lucrative posts and Church offices to the wealthy, and he claimed the clerics and people were all sodomites and attacked the oppression of the poor, by unjust taxation.
The post #97 – Savonarola Part 4 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.