The city state of Florence and its fabulous Florentine artists, writers, sculptors, architects and scientists transformed western civilization in the late mediaeval and early Renaissance periods. Between 1265, the birth of the poet Dante and 1642, the death of Galileo, the eminent scientist and polymath, the Florentines discarded old practices and forged new ground in each of their disciplines. Their philosophy and new ways of thinking and creating spread across western Europe. Their profound influence is evident in each of their creative and scientific endeavours in the 21 st century
- Puett Susan, 2016, Renaissance Art and Science, Truman State Uni Press, ISBN 10; 16124885X
- Strathon, Paul, 2022, The Florentines from Dante to Galileo : The Transformation of Western Civilisation, Pegasus, ISBN 10 : 1643137328
- Machiavelli, Nicolo, 2011, The Prince, originally published 1532 five years after his death, Penguin, ISBN 13 : 9780141442259
- Unger, Miles, 2008, Magnifico, The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 10 ; 074325435
- City state of Florence in the 15 th and 16th centuries, nature of government and the emergence of early Renaissance art, literature sculpture, science and architecture.
- Portraits of power including Machiavelli, Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici and relationships with the Papacy
- Literary masters, Dante, Petrarch and Machiavelli
- Artistic legacy of Donatello, da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli and the architect Brunelleschi
- The scientific legacy of Galileo
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Gain a sound understanding of the significance of the city state of Florence, the capital of Tuscany, in western history
- Appreciate the timelessness of the achievements of the fabulous Florentines
over the centuries
- Consider the consequences of the brutal and violent factional warfare in the Italian city states in the context of the early Renaissance period
