The Renaissance in Italy : a social and cultural history of the Rinascimento

This Book Offers A Rich And Exciting New Way Of Thinking About The Italian Renaissance As Both A Historical Period And A Historical Movement. Guido Ruggiero's Work Is Based On Archival Research And New Insights Of Social And Cultural History And Literary Criticism, With A Special Emphasis On Everyday Culture, Gender, Violence, And Sexuality. The Book Offers A Vibrant And Relevant Critical Study Of A Period Too Long Burdened By Anachronistic And Outdated Ways Of Thinking About The Past. Familiar, Yet Alien; Pre-modern, But Suggestively Post-modern; Attractive And Troubling, This Book Returns The Italian Renaissance To Center Stage In Our Past And In Our Historical Analysis.-- Introduction: The End Of The World And Its Rebirth (rinascita) As The Rinascimento -- Legitimacy: A Crisis And A Promise (c. 1250 -- C.1340) -- Civiltà: Living And Thinking The City (c.1300 -- C.1375) -- Plague: Death, Disaster, And The Rinascita Of Civiltà (c.1325-1425) -- Violence: Social Conflict And The Italian Hundred Years' War (c. 1350-1454) -- Imagination: The Sacred Primary Culture Of The Early Rinascimento (c. 1350- C. 1475) -- Courts: Princes, Aristocrats, And Quiet Glory (c. 1425- C. 1500) -- Self: The Individual As A Work Of Art (c. 1425- C. 1525) -- Discovery: Finding The Old In The New (c. 1450- C.1560) -- Re-dreams: Virtù, Saving The Rinascimento, And The Satyr In The Garden (c. 1500- C.1560) -- Reform: Spiritual Enthusiasms, Discipline, And A Church Militant (c. 1500- C. 1575) -- Retreat: The Great Social Divide And The End Of The Rinascimento (c. 1525-c.1575) -- Epilogue: The Diaspora Of The Rinascimento. Guido Ruggiero, University Of Miami. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 591-600) And Index. This book offers a rich and exciting new way of thinking about the Italian Renaissance as both a historical period and a historical movement. Guido Ruggiero's work is based on archival research and new insights of social and cultural history and literary criticism, with a special emphasis on everyday culture, gender, violence and sexuality. The book offers a vibrant and relevant critical study of a period too long burdened by anachronistic and outdated ways of thinking about the past. Familiar, yet alien; pre-modern, but suggestively post-modern; attractive and troubling, this book returns the Italian Renaissance to center stage in our past and in our historical analysis. - Presents a radical rethinking of the Italian Renaissance, designed to return the period to its central place in contemporary historical and literary discussion - Incorporates new research on gender and other non-traditional subjects - Melds the new social and cultural history with literary theory and criticism, without jargon or extended theoretical discussions Content: 1. Legitimacy: a crisis and a promise (c.1250-c.1340) 2. Civilt...: living and thinking the city (c.1300-c.1375) 3. Plague: death, disaster, and the rinascita of civilt... (c.1325-c.1425) 4. Violence: social conflict and the Italian Hundred Years War (c.1350-c.1454) 5. Imagination: the shared primary culture of the early Rinascimento (c.1350-c.1475) 6. Courts: princes, aristocrats, and quiet glory (c.1425-c.1500) 7. Self: the individual as a work of art (c.1425-c.1525) 8. Discovery: finding the old in the new (c.1450-c.1560) 9. Re-dreams: virtu, saving the Rinascimento, and the satyr in the garden (c.1500-c.1560) 10. Reform: spiritual enthusiasms, discipline, and a church militant (c.1500-c.1575) 11. Retreat: the great social divide and the end of the Rinascimento (c.1525-c.1575). This book offers a rich and exciting new way of thinking about the Italian Renaissance as both a historical period and a historical movement. Guido Ruggiero's work is based on archival research and new insights of social and cultural history and literary criticism, with a special emphasis on everyday culture, gender, violence, and sexuality. The book offers a vibrant and relevant critical study of a period too long burdened by anachronistic and outdated ways of thinking about the past. Familiar, yet alien; pre-modern, but suggestively post-modern; attractive and troubling, this book returns the Italian Renaissance to center stage in our past and in our historical analysis.-- Provided by Publisher