Florence and the Renaissance: Art, Humanism, and History
Renaissance: First Part
Florence, capital of the Renaissance.
The “David” statue was created in 1501, but the Renaissance period spans from 1350-1400.
Renaissance artists rediscovered the classical era.
Rome flourished until the arrival of the barbarians.
The concept of the Middle Ages was created in Italy in the 15th century.
For them, the Middle Ages was a dark period, deviating from classical culture.
Humanism
To understand the emergence of the Renaissance, one must understand Humanism, a cultural movement that started in Florence and then expanded throughout Italy and Europe. They were called “Studia Humanitatis,” encompassing literature, history, and philosophy. The most important author was Petrarch, a poet and one of the fathers of the Italian language.
The Renaissance man saw himself as capable of everything: creating, inventing, and writing.
Artists Become Stars
In the Renaissance, creators stopped being artisans and became artists. Society recognized the work of artists. Citizens considered them important figures for the city, alongside politicians, military leaders, and priests.
Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464)
Founder of the Medici dynasty, banker, politician, and Lord of Florence from 1434-1464.
He sponsored arts and architecture with the goal of making Florence a “new” Rome. This marked the triumph of the urban classes and the oligarchy of the city.
Brunelleschi’s Dome (1377-1446)
He was a goldsmith and inventor. The cathedral was completed in 1296, except for the dome. In 1418, a contest was held to design the dome. In 1420, Brunelleschi won the competition with a double-dome design. The dome was completed in 1436. There are no sketches or drawings of how he accomplished the work.
Michelozzo
He was the favorite architect of Cosimo de Medici. The Palazzo Medici (1444) became the prototype of the Italian Renaissance palace.
Leon Battista Alberti
The most relevant personality in Renaissance architecture. He was a humanist, not a professional architect. A “Homo Universalis,” he was interested in all areas of knowledge. He wrote treatises on painting, sculpture, and architecture. With his texts, he provided a theoretical framework for the artistic movement of the 1400s, uniting Ancient Rome with Brunelleschi, Masaccio, and Donatello. His work influenced later architecture.
Renaissance: Second Part
Florence was one of the major destinations in Italy, important during the Grand Tour era. The relationship between tourists and places is constructed through the “gaze,” simplifying and reshaping the space according to tourists’ expectations.
From 1865-1871, Florence was the capital of the new Kingdom of Italy.
The city underwent a large urban renovation to transmit the image of a modern state.
An example of this is Piazzale Michelangelo, a large terrace offering “the view” of Florence that Grand Tour travelers desired.
David’s statue: In 1865-1871, the city needed a national narrative to reinforce its role as capital. History and heritage were used for this purpose.
David in Piazza Michelangelo is used as a national symbol (as in the Renaissance era, it was a city symbol).
This David was the first copy, and then serialization started until nowadays.