Best Renovatio Podcasts (2024)

I am joined by the Florence based artist and art historian Dr. Alan Pascuzzi for a thrilling interview about his career as an artist following the techniques of the Renaissance masters. We first discuss the process of becoming a sculptor and painter in the Renaissance techniques. He walks us through his technical process, looking closely at his rec…

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Ep. 44: Frank Nero Part 2: San Martino del Vescovo 45:28

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3M ago45:28

45:28

Join me in conversation with Frank Nero, who takes us on a journey to a hidden gem in Florence, San Martino del Vescovo. This oratory serves as a fascinating case study of the intersections between Medici power and art patronage, as well as offering a glimpse into the everyday of Florentine life in the Quattrocento. The oratory frescoes depict scen…

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Ep.43: Frank Nero Part 1: Teaching Renaissance Art in Florence, Italy 45:51

3M ago45:51

45:51

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Frank Nero to the podcast. Nero is an art historian, award-winning educator, and former director of Florida State University Florence. He specializes in on-site lectures, having taught and inspired thousands of students during his career, myself included. The first part of this interview departs from our typ…

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Ep. 42: The Followers of Raphael Part 2: Giovanni da Udine, feat. Esme Garlake 32:47

4M ago32:47

32:47

Join me in the continuation of my conversation with ecocritical art historian and climate activist Esme Garlake. In the second part of our interview, we discuss the works of Raphael's pupil, Giovanni da Udine. Giovanni not only had an intense fascination with accurately depicting the natural world, which we discuss via his drawings, but had a subst…

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Ep. 41: The Followers of Raphael Part 1: Ecocritical Art History and Giulio Romano, feat. Esme Garlake 32:31

4M ago32:31

32:31

Join me in conversation in two parts with Esme Garlake, an ecocritical art historian and climate activist who centers her research on the interaction between the artist and the natural world. We are talking about two artists who were trained under Raphael, Giulio Romano and Giovanni da Udine. How do animals manifest in their works, and what does it…

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Ep. 40: Romeo and Juliet: The Italian Renaissance Novella that Inspired Shakespeare, feat. Michael Curtotti 46:44

5M ago46:44

46:44

Welcome to the Italian Renaissance Podcast Interview Series! Passionate translator Michael Curtotti joins us on the podcast to discuss the Renaissance novelliere Matteo Bandello and his Romeo and Juliet, which serves as the inspiration to the famous play by William Shakespeare. Curtotti has recently published a new translation of Bandello's novella…

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Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper 24:10

7M ago24:10

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Leonardo da Vinci arrived in Milan around the year 1482. Under the patronage of Duke Ludovico Gonzaga, Leonardo painted his famous Last Supper on the wall of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Still, his technical application of paint was a failure, causing almost immediate damage to the famous work. Between his inadequate innovation, the w…

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The Ancient Roots of Transhumanist Thinking 35:56

8M ago35:56

35:56

Lenn E. Goodman, an expert on Jewish and Islamic metaphysics, joins Esme Partridge to discuss the philosophical heritage of AI (artificial intelligence)—which he locates in the medieval and renaissance study of alchemy, which ultimately sought to create man from matter—and the implications of our rapid embrace of AI.…

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Ep.38: Veronese and the Inquisition 22:59

9M ago22:59

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Season 2 Finale! For the conclusion of this treatment of Renaissance Venice, we discuss Paolo Veronese and his famous painting that enraged the Holy Inquisition: The Supper in the House of Levi. Indeed, upon completion of this painting, the forces of the Counter-Reformation descended upon Veronese, bringing him under interrogation to explain what t…

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Ep. 37: Renovatio Urbis - Jacopo Sansovino and Pietro Aretino 24:58

10M ago24:58

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Touted as the 'triumvirate' of sixteenth century Venice, Titian, Jacopo Sansovino, and Pietro Aretino were cultural megaliths that bolstered the ambitious city development plan under Doge Andrea Gritti. This episode explores the presence of both Aretino and Sansovino in Venice. Aretino was a famed writer, open homosexual, and merciless critic of th…

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Ep. 36: Gaspara Stampa - Venetian Renaissance Poet 27:54

10M ago27:54

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Gaspara Stampa is among the most important poets of the Renaissance. Living in Venice, she was a central figure in the music and literary scene thriving during the sixteenth century. Her Rime, published the year of her death, give us insight to the brilliant mind of an upper class socialite with a complicated love life, far flung from the rigid con…

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Ep. 35: Michelangelo in Venice 27:18

11M ago27:18

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In 1494 upon the expulsion of the Medici from Florence, Michelangelo Buonarotti left his native city for the Republic of Venice. His stay there was brief and mostly undocumented. Yet, close comparison of source material and stylistic analysis reveals that perhaps Michelangelo was more influenced by his time in Venice than previously considered. The…

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Ep. 34: The Titian List, feat. Gee Cooper 53:13

11M ago53:13

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With great pleasure, I welcome Gee Cooper back to the show to discuss the afterlife of Titian. Given his proliferation and international appeal, the works of Titian and his role as court painter had a ripple effect in courts throughout Europe. Among the most important figures is Charles I of England who looked to expand the Royal Collection after a…

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Ep. 33: Titian: A Life in Three Paintings 26:18

12M ago26:18

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Known as the greatest master of the Venetian Renaissance, Titian's painting career spanned most of the sixteenth century. This episode aims to give an overview of his life and works, focusing on three paintings from three different genres: an altarpiece, a portrait, and a mythological scene. Just as they represent different genres, the paintings di…

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Ep. 32: Mehmed II and Italian Art in the Ottoman Courts 26:44

12M ago26:44

26:44

The conquest of Constantinople placed the Ottoman Empire at the center of the Mediterranean world. Sultan Mehmed II thrived under the cultural pluralism of his new court, procuring artists from both sides of his world: Italy and Persia. However, the Italianization of the Ottoman Empire is locked within Mehmed's reign, as the greater Ottoman court d…

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Ep. 31: Venice and the Islamic Lands, feat. Julia Bender 36:37

1y ago36:37

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I sat down with Julia Bender, a student and researcher of Islamic and medieval art, to discuss the relationship between the Venetian Republic and the Islamic powers that competed for mercantile control of the Mediterranean. Looking at the Mamluks and Ottomans, two major dynasties that coincide with the Renaissance period, we discuss what exchanges …

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Ep. 30: Giorgione and Titian: Sleeping Venus and the Venus of Urbino 31:43

1y ago31:43

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In our third and final discussion on Giorgione, this episode covers his final work, the Sleeping Venus, which was finished by Titian upon his death. A close look at the history of this painting helps understand the development of Titian's style in light of Giorgione, which ultimately arrives at his most famous work, the Venus of Urbino. This conver…

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Ep. 29: Giorgione's Tempest, feat. Professor Monika Schmitter 32:31

1y ago32:31

32:31

I sat down with Venetian Renaissance expert Monika Schmitter to discuss the enigmatic Tempest by Giorgione. Why is this image so difficult to define? What is the current state of scholarly interpretation of its form and function? This interview covers the complicated history of the painting, in part responding to Prof. Schmitter's recent publicatio…

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Ep. 28: Giorgione 28:42

1y ago28:42

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This episode explores Giorgione -Giorgio da Castelfranco - a founding artist of the Venetian High Renaissance. Although he lived a short life, the impact of his art echoes throughout the history of Venetian art. With influences like Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci and Francesco Petrarch, his pictorial style is elaborated into a poetic mode of p…

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Ep. 27: Venetian Sculpture - The Lombardo Workshop 25:28

1y ago25:28

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The Lombardo family workshop in Venice was the most prominent in the city for the development of Renaissance sculpture. This episode looks briefly at the history of the family before taking a more focused look at the works of Tullio Lombardo and how he revolutionized sculpture in Venice. What happens when classical revival combines with Netherlandi…

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Ep. 26: Venetian Palaces: Gothic to Renaissance 28:16

1y ago28:16

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Venice is a unique blending of cultural influences that has a lasting impact on artistic development and style. This episode focuses on the the transition from Venetian Gothic palace architecture in Venice to Renaissance style. How do we talk about the unique architecture of Venice? What historical changes impacted the shift in style from Gothic to…

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Ep 25: Jacopo Bellini's Impact and Legacy 24:29

1+ y ago24:29

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Jacopo Bellini is one of the most influential figures in the development of a Renaissance style in Venice. This discussion takes a close look at Jacopo as an innovator and teacher. What influences did he pass on to his sons Gentile and Giovanni, and where did they come from? This episode looks closely at Giovanni Bellini's Saint Giobbe Altarpiece, …

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"Is a Great Books Education for Everyone" with Thomas Hibbs 42:43

1+ y ago42:43

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"One thing that is true of [the Great Books] list is that you cannot… think that it is a unified, monolithic view of the truth. Hobbes and Machiavelli disagree vehemently with Plato, right? There's some continuity there, but Aquinas does not agree with David Hume, who is an atheist. So, at a minimum, an honest reading of that tradition is an introd…

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"The Knowledge that Transcends the Empirical World" with Hasan Spiker 42:55

1+ y ago42:55

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"The empirical in the traditional notion of reason is only one component in the uncovering of our knowledge. But knowledge really involves uncovering the intelligible object. So what that means is the intelligible object is not there in the empirical world—that actually means transcending the empirical world to make contact with this intelligible e…

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"The Decline of Morality Amidst the Celebration of the Self" with Chris Hedges 43:42

1+ y ago43:42

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“If your ultimate concern is yourself, if you have spent your life building a monument to yourself, then in biblical terms, that’s idolatry. I think we live in an idolatrous society… I think it is extremely difficult for people to achieve a moral life without a community.” Chris Hedges speaks to Renovatio editor Safir Ahmed about what fuels our con…

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Ep 24: San Marco - Venetian Renaissance 32:25

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The foundational myths and stories of Venice revolve around the importance of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Venetian relations to Alexandria. In this discussion, we sort through the stories about the theft of his body, the construction of his basilica, and how this influences art and society in Renaissance Venice - namely in painting. Through Genti…

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Ep 23: Introduction to Renaissance Venice 26:58

1+ y ago26:58

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Season 2 is all about Renaissance Venice! For this season premier, we are laying the foundations of the cultural forces that existed in Venice and how they interact with the revival of classical antiquity. This episode explores the geography of Venice and how it shaped a city that is wholly unique in landscape, artistic production and style. This d…

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Ep. 22: Filippo Brunelleschi Part 3: The Architect 27:18

1+ y ago27:18

27:18

This third and final installment on Filippo Brunelleschi focuses on his architectural works beyond the Dome of Florence. Brunelleschi's style, in part, defines how we read Renaissance architecture, creating the baseline standard and influencing generations of architects to come. This episode principally explores the Ospedale degli Innocenti and the…

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Ep. 21: Filippo Brunelleschi Part 2: The Dome of Florence 26:56

1+ y ago26:56

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How was the Dome of Florence built? What were the circumstances that helped Brunelleschi solve the greatest architectural mystery of the Renaissance? This episode talks about the predominant Gothic style, and how Brunelleschi adapted it through his sojourn in Rome. What was the role of the Roman Pantheon, and did an unnamed female architect influen…

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Ep. 20: Filippo Brunelleschi Part 1: The Competition Panels 27:03

1+ y ago27:03

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Kicking off this Interseason Trilogy, this episode discusses the early life of Filippo Brunelleschi, the early phases of the construction of the Duomo, and the famous competition against Lorenzo Ghiberti for the commission of the bronze doors of the Baptistry of Florence. All of this is meant as a prelude of how Brunelleschi came to be the architec…

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Holiday Special: The Magi of Florence 25:33

1+ y ago25:33

25:33

The Magi, or the Three Wise Men who followed the star of Bethlehem to find the infant Christ, are essential components of understanding religious life in Florence. In the 1400's under Cosimo de' Medici, the culture around the Magi was appropriated to establish a parallel between local devotion and Medici power and patronage. This episode highlights…

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Ep 18: Ghosts of Italy Halloween Special 26:00

1+ y ago26:00

26:00

The Season 1 finale brings you five tales from Italy of ghosts, witches, murder, and plague. Story-telling and folklore are essential aspects of Renaissance history and society. Many of the stories told on this episode are grounded in truth. Whether or not the supernatural lays its cold, chill hands upon these moments or not, is up to you. Why is a…

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Ep. 17: Rethinking Christopher Columbus 32:13

1+ y ago32:13

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All across the United States debates are flaring up around the legacy of Christopher Columbus and social traditions that spawned from his journey across the Atlantic. In light of a developing history around Columbus, one that highlights his cruelty and questionable navigational ability, the call has been made: eliminate Columbus Day and replace it …

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Ep. 16: Botticelli's Primavera 30:33

1+ y ago30:33

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The name Sandro Botticelli is inseparable from a rich visual vocabulary of mythological subjects, abstract bodies, and an achieved pictorial aesthetic that diverts the mind from the vast complexities of his work. Yet, when we dive deep and look close, his works demonstrate a series of compound interpretations that render them often puzzling and dif…

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Ep.15: The Cult of the Saints 28:49

2y ago28:49

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Equally as important as humanism, naturalism, innovation, and invention, the Cult of the Saints is a long standing tradition that continues to thrive during the Renaissance period. Only through understanding this current and ongoing cultural trend can art and society in Italy be properly comprehended. This discussion details the position of saints,…

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Ep. 14: Simonetta Vespucci, La Sans Pareille 30:58

2y ago30:58

30:58

She was the ultimate Muse of the Renaissance, inspiring princes, painters and poets. This discussion looks to unpack the shockwave that followed the arrival of Simonetta Vespucci in Florence. Who was she, and how does history inform her impact on the Italian Renaissance? We dive deeper, interpreting how to digest the questions around attributions o…

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Ep. 13: Michelangelo's Bacchus 22:30

2y ago22:30

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Let's take a deep and thorough look at one of Michelangelo's most exceptional works, the drunken, stammering Bacchus. Jumping off from where the Young Michelangelo episode ended, this discussion covers the commission, provenance, and a detailed visual analysis and interpretation of the artist's first major life-sized marble, Bacchus, the god of win…

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Ep. 12: Lamentations on the Modern Renaissance 38:23

2y ago38:23

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We are shifting gears as I share my experiences on how the Renaissance fits into our modern world. Listen to these stories, some funny some not, that help paint a picture of how the Renaissance is engaged by scholars, students, and tourists. I do not intend to show it in its glory, but rather the difficulties and tensions. Galleries in Italy are ov…

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Ep. 11: Dante's Divine Comedy Part 2: Purgatory and Paradise 35:02

2y ago35:02

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In our final discussion of Dante's masterwork, The Divine Comedy, this analysis seeks not only to outline these last two books, but to show them as precursors to Renaissance thought, grounding Dante as both a writer of the Middle Ages and an object of proto-humanism. What must Dante do to ascend Mount Purgatory and reach the heavenly realm, and how…

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Ep. 10: Dante's Divine Comedy Part 1: Inferno 46:56

2y ago46:56

46:56

Abandon all hope, you who enter here, into this gruesome telling of Dante's Inferno! This discussion aims to breakdown the first canticle of The Divine Comedy into one digestible episode, through all nine circles of Hell. Get insight into Dante's poetic meter and style on the work as a whole, all while listening to excerpts from the work to outline…

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Ep. 9: Dante Alighieri 24:14

2y ago24:14

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Covering key elements of his life and essential works, this episode tracks the life of The Great Poet Dante Alighieri, author of The Divine Comedy. Using key literary movements, we discuss the greater influences on Dante's poetry, the dolce stil novo, and how it fits into the greater context of Mediterranean literature. Additionally, the podcast co…

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Ep. 8: Galileo, feat. Ian Billig 38:07

2y ago38:07

38:07

In this episode, I chat with Ian Billig about Galileo Galilei and the development of Renaissance science. Ian, skilled in physical sciences and mathematics, as well as a self-taught classicist, walks us through the development of classical natural philosophy through Galileo, and how this translates into our concept of modern science. Who was Galile…

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Ep. 7: The Young Michelangelo 28:44

2y ago28:44

28:44

Let's talk Michelangelo! This episode covers the essential beginning of Michelangelo's life and career, from his training to his first major commission. His life is a complicated one, though it is a story to tell full of drama and scandal. This discussion focuses primarily on Michelangelo as a student , from the workshop of Ghirlandaio to the Medic…

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Ep. 6: Leonardo da Vinci 25:58

2y ago25:58

25:58

Undoubtedly one of the most well-known Renaissance figures, Leonardo da Vinci has ascended beyond the realm of artist, appearing more as mythic or legendary. This episode explores not only how that came to be, but also why it is important that we look at his life with a touch of scrutiny in order to better understand Leonardo as he was, rather than…

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Ep. 5: Andrea Palladio and the English Country House, feat. Gee Cooper 58:04

2y ago58:04

58:04

We are very pleased to welcome our first guest for this episode, Gee Cooper. Gee works for the National Trust, specializing in the history and conservation of English country houses, primarily Claydon House and Uppark. With a thorough grasp on all of the major architectural intricacies of these houses, Gee and I discuss the lasting impact of the Re…

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Ep. 4: The Pazzi Conspiracy 21:29

2y ago21:29

21:29

This episode takes a glance at the general history around the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy that culminated over the Florentine Easter festivities in April of 1478, leading to the gruesome murder of Giuliano de' Medici, and the blood bath that followed. Happy Easter! Merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ItalianRenShop Support the Show.…

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Sculpting the Self with Muhammad U. Faruque and Esmé Partridge 47:18

2y ago47:18

47:18

In this podcast, Muhammad U. Faruque speaks with Esme Partridge on his recently published book, Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing, which examine notions of selfhood and subjectivity before and in the modern period. Muhammad U. Faruque is Inayat Malik Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati. Esmé L. K. Partridge …

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Ep. 3: Renaissance Sculpture: Donatello's David 37:26

2y ago37:26

37:26

Using Donatello's David, this episode seeks to analyze and interpret the highly debated complications of this famous bronze. This work is an emblem of sculpture as political, subversive, and multi-layered. Through it, we can learn the general modes of analysis of Italian Renaissance sculpture in the Quattrocento. Merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/It…

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