HSY2860

The Renaissance in Florence

Peter Howard and Bill Kent

8 points - Intensive lectures, tutorials and field trips for 35 hours per week, over 1 month (late November/December 1999) - Florence - Prohibited combination: HSY2630/HSY3630

Objectives Students who complete this subject will be conversant with the considerable body of knowledge that has been built up about late medieval and Renaissance Florence (in the context of Italian history in general). They will also have acquainted themselves as thoroughly as time permits with the city of Florence itself, with its churches, palaces, museums, piazzas and streets, and will be able to use that knowledge as a capital source for the history of the Renaissance city, its society and culture.

Synopsis A study, conducted in the city itself, of the political, social and cultural history of Florence, from the late thirteenth to the early sixteenth centuries, with particular reference to the Renaissance period. Students who have not passed HSY1010 and HSY1020 should do the preliminary reading with great care.

Assessment Prepared site visit (1000 words), post-site visit critique (500 words), two critiques of other students' site visit presentations (total 800 words), research essay (2200 words): 75% - Examination (1.5 hours): 25% - Note: first four elements to be submitted in Florence; all other elements to be completed by the end of week eight of first semester of the following year.

Preliminary reading

Brucker G Renaissance Florence 2nd edn, U California P, 1983

Prescribed texts

Monash History/ASA Renaissance in Florence
Brucker G The society of Renaissance Florence U Toronto P, 1998
Gregory H Selected letters of Alessandra Strozzi U California P, 1997

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