Year 10

In this book, Malcolm Vale argues for a Northern Renaissance which, while cognisant of Italian developments, had a life of its own, expressed through such innovations as a rediscovery of pictorial space and representational realism, and which displayed strong continuities with the indigenous cultures of northern Europe. But it also contributed new movements and tendencies in thought, the visual arts, literature, religious beliefs and the dissemination of knowledge which often stemmed from, and built upon, those continuities. A Short History of the Renaissance in Northern Europe - while in no way ignoring or diminishing the importance of the Greek and Roman legacy - seeks other sources, and different uses of classical antiquity, for a rather different kind of 'Renaissance' in the North.

Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries Italy led the world in painting, building, science and literature. Cox explores key artistic, literary and intellectual developments, but also histories of food and fashion, map-making, exploration and anatomy. Alongside towering figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Petrarch, Machiavelli and Isabella d'Este, Cox reveals a cast of lesser-known Renaissance protagonists including printers, travel writers, actresses, courtesans, explorers, inventors and even celebrity chefs. At the same time, Italy's rich regional diversity is emphasized. In addition to the great artistic capitals of Florence, Rome and Venice, smaller but cutting-edge centres such as Ferrara, Mantua, Bologna, Urbino and Siena are given their due.

With Italy at its centre, but encompassing the whole of Renaissance Europe, this evocative history challenges some of the popularly-held views on the Renaissance period. In particular, whilst always acknowledging the brilliance and exhuberance of Renaissance culture, Robin Kirkpatrick draws equal attention to the strangeness and often unresolved tensions that lay beneath the surface of that culture.Insisting on a European rather than purely Italian viewpoint, he embraces Renaissance thinking and culture in all its diversity.

The Renaissance first bloomed in northern Italy in the 14th century, where the rediscovery of the cultural heritage left by ancient Rome and Greece sparked an intellectual revolution centered on humanism. Lasting for about 300 years, the Renaissance saw notables such as Michelangelo, Dante, Cervantes and Arasmus reshape Europe.

This resource brings the people and the events of the Renaissance and Reformation to life for today's students. Covering everything from Luther's Revolt to the writings of Shakespeare, the Renaissance and Reformation Reference Library fills the need for comprehensive coverage of this amazing time.

Analyzes the literary trends of the Italian renaissance period.

An encyclopedia of the Renaissance with articles on various aspects of social, cultural, and political history such as literature, government, warfare, and technology, plus maps, charts, definitions, and chronology.