After the return of the papacy from Avignon, around 1420 the squalid  and neglected conditions in Rome began to improve. By the middle of the 15th century, Rome began to supplant Florence as the leading center of the  Renaissance, a period characterized by the reconciliation of classical ideals and ancient humanistic learning with Christian beliefs.  The re-establishment and expansion of papal power revived, restored, and renewed  Rome, seat of the Catholic Church and Ancient Roman Empire, as "caput mundi".  Self-aggrandizing popes and cardinals commissioned grand works during the High Renaissance (ca. 1500-1520) from artists renowned for their genius, such as Bramante's New Saint Peter's project, Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling and Raphael's frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura.  This on-site  course  investigates how and why  Renaissance paintings, sculptures, buildings,  and urban projects not only reflect, but actively create, the image of Rome as an ideal heavenly and secular city.

Classes are organized chronologically and thematically, with a focus on the invaluable opportunity to view firsthand  works of art in their original context. Class discussions will be based on the analysis of  monuments and  textual sources from the time period, as well as more recent studies conducted with different methods, but closely related to on-site visits. Familiarity with original works of art and primary sources will  provide the foundation for studying the specific historical and cultural context of the Renaissance in Rome.

Students will obtain extensive  firsthand knowledge of  Renaissance painting, sculpture and architecture in Rome, and  learn about the period's cultural context.

Viewing, analyzing, reading about and discussing works of art in their original location will train students to understand and interpret visual culture. 

Regular and punctual class attendance is mandatory. Absences are excused only with official documentation of illness or emergency.

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________