MED12 Italian Renaissance Humanism

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Paolo Tabacchini, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Paolo Tabacchini, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of English is welcome. Presentations, study materials, and tests shall be available in Czech as well.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Lectures provide a basic introduction to the Italian renaissance humanism. The course focuses on the theoretical and methodological discussions connected with this historical epoch as well as on the most important figures of renaissance humanism, including its intellectual precursors (Giotto, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Dante). Lectures introduce main themes of renaissance thought on the background of fine arts production, literature, and philosophy. Special attention will be paid to the reception of the classical tradition in humanistic thinking.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able:
- to summarize the methodological discussions connected with this historical epoch;
- to describe the most important figures of renaissance humanism, including its intellectual precursors (Giotto, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Dante);
- to define the reception of the classical tradition in humanistic thinking.
Syllabus
  • 1. "Renaissance" as a theoretical and methodological problem.
  • 2. Precursors I: Giotto, Nicola a Giovanni Pisano.
  • 3. Precursors II: Dante Alighieri.
  • 4. Francesco Petrarca.
  • 5. Giovanni Boccaccio.
  • 6. Political thought: Coluccio Salutati, Leonardo Bruni, Niccolò Machiavelli.
  • 7. Early renaissance in fine arts: Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello, Masaccio.
  • 8. Humanistic themes in the 15th century painting: Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli et al.
  • 9. Philosophical humanism: Lorenzo Valla and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola.
  • 10. Marsilio Ficino and Florentine Academy.
  • 11. Pietro Pomponazzi and the Renaissance Aristotelism.
  • 12.–13. Concluding remarks.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • [CZE] Leonardi, Claudio (ed.) (2015). Středověká latinská literatura (6.-15. století). Praha: Academia.
  • [CZE] Černý, Václav - Pelán, Jiří (eds.) (2020). Italská renesanční literatura I-II. Praha: Karolinum.
  • [CZE] Burckhardt, Jacob (2013). Kultura renesance v Itálii. Praha: Rybka Publishers.
  • [CZE] Le Goff, Jacques (2014). O hranicích dějinných období: Na příkladu středověku a renesance. Praha: Karolinum.
  • [CZE] Burke, Peter (1996). Italská renesance: Kultura a společnost v Itálii. Praha: Mladá fronta.
  • [CZE] Garin, Eugenio (ed.) (2003). Renesanční člověk a jeho svět. Praha: Vyšehrad.
  • [CZE] Kristeller, Paul Oskar (2007). Osm filosofů italské renesance. Praha: Vyšehrad.
  • [CZE] Hankins, James (ed.) (2011). Renesanční filosofie. Praha: Oikoymenh.
  • [CZE] Floss, Pavel (2021). Aktéři Humanismu a rané renesance. Prahra: Vyšehrad.
  • [CZE] Toman, Rolf (ed.) (2001). Umění italské renesance: Architektura - Sochařství - Malířství - Kresba. Praha: Slovart.
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  • [ENG] Wyatt, Michael (ed.) (2014). The Cambridge Companion to the Italian Renaissance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • [ENG] Kraye, Jill (ed.) (1996). The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Humanism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • [ENG] Najemy, John M. (ed.) (2004). Italy in the Age of the Renaissance, 1300-1550. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • [ENG] Hay, Denys (1977). The Italian Renaissance in Its Historical Background. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • [ENG] Freemantle, Richard (2008). God and Money: Florence and the Medici in the Renaissance. Firenze: Leo S. Olschki.
  • [ENG] Trinkaus, Charles (1995). In Our Image and Likeness: Humanity and Divinity in Italian Humanist Thought. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press.
  • [ENG] Baron, Hans (1966). The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • [ENG] Kristeller, Paul Oskar (1979). Renaissance Thought and Its Sources. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • [ENG] Schmitt, Charles B. - Skinner, Quentin (eds.) (1988). The Cambridge History of Renaissance Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • [ENG] Campbell, Stephen J. - Cole, Michael W. (2012). A New History of Italian Renaissance Art. London: Thames & Hudson.
Teaching methods
Lectures and discussions.
Assessment methods
Credits are awarded for successful passing of the final test (pass mark = 70%) aimed at testing student's insight into the topics discussed during the semester.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Teacher's information
Compulsory and recommended readings will be assigned periodically throughout the semester.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/MED12