A Journey Through Renaissance Italy!

The Renaissance, meaning “rebirth,” was a spectacular period of cultural change, creativity and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from about 1350 to 1600 AD, and is best known for a renewed enthusiasm for the arts and philosophy of ancient Rome and Greece. Calvert sixth graders take a quarter-long Art History course on the Italian Renaissance that I developed and have taught for the past four years. Every time I teach the class, I learn something new and become even more excited about the material, however, something still always troubled me… I was teaching about something I claim to be an expert about when I have never even seen any of it myself!

This is nothing new. All teachers teach about places they have never been and people they have never met. But I believe that there is no comparison or substitution for viewing artwork firsthand. Images in a book or on a computer screen are much better than nothing, but can’t come close to the real thing. Viewing art in person, in the size and perspective the artist intended and with all the small but distinct variables that only in-person viewing allows, significantly affects your perception of the work and allows you to appreciate it in a way that it just not possible otherwise. I was dying to see firsthand the numerous works of art and architecture that were produced during this incredible time in history and share my experiences with the students I teach! Thanks to the generosity of Calvert School’s Garrett Grant program, I was able to do just that when I spent ten days touring the art meccas of Rome, Florence and Venice, Italy this summer.

My trip began with three days in Rome, the “Eternal City.” Unphased by temperatures tipping 100 degrees (don’t worry, I was sure to refuel on plenty of pasta and cool off with a gelato at least once daily!), I jumped right in and spent my days getting to know the layout of the city by walking around, and boy, did I WALK! I visited many of the well known tourist spots- the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Novona with its famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini, and Campo de’ Fiori, the open air food market. I participated in a small-group tour of  the Colosseum, where I relived the stories of bloody combat between gladiators and wild beasts, and the evocative ruins of the Ancient Roman Forum, the cradle of a civilization whose lives, beliefs and ideas greatly influenced Renaissance humanists, artists and architects. I spent time contemplating the dome of the Pantheon, the only ancient Roman building that remains intact, and the burial place of the Renaissance painting master, Raphael. I sought out the Church of St. Peter in Chains, where I quiletly paid my respects to the most noted of the Renaissance popes, Julius II, whose patronage led to the creation of some of the world’s most beloved artworks, and whose tomb features Michelangelo’s famous Moses sculpture.

The Piazza Novona/Bernini Fountain

In front of the Trevi Fountain

The Spanish Steps

Inside the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

Outside of the Pantheon

Beautiful tomatoes at the Campo de Fiori market

The tomb of Pope Julius II by Michelangelo

Spaghetti lunch!

The highlight of my time in Rome was my guided tour of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. The greatest patron of the the arts in Renaissance Italy was the papacy, and for half a century, until the sack of Rome by French troops in 1527, the greatest Italian artists of the day were lured to Rome to work for the popes. I was excited to see both works from antiquity and masterpieces by the Renaissance artists we discuss in Art History class, among them Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Giotto and Raphael. On my tour, we were able to see the private apartments of Pope Julius II, decorated by Raphael. Staring up at Rapheal’s School of Athens, the actual fresco, was a surreal and magical experience for me. I know so much about the painting, the artist who made it and the patron who commissioned it, but actually stading beneath it was indescribable. Even so, nothing could prepare me for what was essentially right down the hall... the Sistine Chapel. There I stood, in the large though intimate, cool space, dimly lit by just a few high windows, among hundreds of other hushed tourists. Yet, as I looked above me, I felt almost like I was there alone. The beauty and impact of Michelangelo’s fresoed ceiling and alterpiece, The Last Judgement, are unparalleled and truly, the only real way to understand the depths of his genius is to stand there in that sacred space, right beneath it. It was a moment I will never forget... Still reeling from my encounter with the cozy chapel, I entered the massive St. Peter’s Basilica, overwhelming in its detail of gilt, marble and mosaic, and showcasing work by some of Italy’s greatest artists. Tucked away within the right nave is another breathtaking masterpiece by Michelangelo, his marble staute, Pieta, which was created in his 20’s and shows his genius for capturing the human form. Once again I was overcome with the fact that this was it, the actual sculpture we talk so much about in class, even more beautiful in person than even the very best photograph could ever have shown me.


Laocoon statue, 25 BC

So excited to be in the same room with Raphael's School of Athens

The Last Judgement by Michelangelo, inside the Sistine Chapel

Looking up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Interior of St. Peter's Basilica

Michelangelo's Pieta

Exterior of St. Peter's

I continued on my journey just a short train ride north to Florence, an elegant, compact city that was the cradle of the Renaissance, and was home to the notorious Medici Family, the city’s former rulers whose fortunes and patronage fueled the Renaissance movement. My first evening was the most memorable. Moments after first laying eyes on the magnificent Duomo, I decided to climb the famous red-tiled dome constructed by architect Filippo Brunelleschi. The 463 spiraling, curving, steep steps to the top were a mental challenge that I wasn’t too prepared for (it was quite claustrophobic and pretty scary!), but nothing could beat the emotional impact of reaching the summit of the architectural marvel. The sweeping views of the city below and the Tuscan countryside in the distance brought tears to my eyes. After catching my breath and meditating on the view and the sheer miracle that was the dome itself, I made my decent, stopping on the way down to inch my way across the interior of the dome from hundreds of feet in the air, literally eye level to the stunning fresco painted inside. Upon reaching the street again, emotionally and physically exhausted, I was ready for a gelato at dusk on the steps of the Piazzale Michelangelo, another scenic overlook across the Arno River with awe-inspiring views of the city!


First glimpse of the Duomo and ready to climb!

Steep, narrow steps up to the top

Looking into the cathedral from a small ledge around the interior of the dome

I made it! Looking down the dome's ribs to the street below

Worth the effort!

Headed back down...

The Ponte Vecchio bridge as seen from Piazzale Michelangelo

...and the Duomo...

During my four whirlwind days in Florence, my intention was to see as many of the artworks we discuss in Art History class as possible, and the more I saw, the more I discovered how much there was! In no particular order, I visited: The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, a treasure-house of works associated with the building and decoration of the Cathedral; the Baptistery to view its famous doors, the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti; the Pitti Palace, a stunning building containing a substantial collection of late Renaissance paintings; the Church of St. Lawrence, home to works by Filippo Lippi and Donatello as well as the artist’s burial place and that of Cosimo d’Medici the Elder; the Medici Chapels with its crypt and New Sacristy designed by Michelangelo and containing several impressive sketches and sculptures by the master (I promise, if you have seen one by Michelangelo, you have NOT seen them all!); the Bargello Museum, housing an impressive sculpture collection including many by Donatello, like his St. George and his bronze version of David; the Church of Santa Croce with Giotto frescoes and the tombs of Machiavelli, Galileo, and Michelangelo himself; the Brancacci Chapel to view Masaccio’s The Tribute Money and Expulsion of Adam and Eve; and the Pietre Dura museum where I learned about the Florentine inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly-polished colored stones to create decorative art images.


Michelangelo's tomb inside of the Church of Santa Croce

Donatello's St. George inside of the Bargello Museum

Another Pieta by Michelangelo inside of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Masacchio's frescoes inside the Brancucci Chapel

Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace (no photos allowed inside)

Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise

I also participated in a guided tour of the Uffizi, the former office space of the Medici’s, which boasts the largest and most important collection of Renaissance art of any gallery in the world. I spent hours gazing at work by such artists as Giotto, Botticelli (Birth of Venus anyone?!), Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio, just to name a few! Of particular interest to me is that the gallery is set up in chronological order, making it possible to see the progression in style and subject matter in Italian painting from Medieval to Baroque. I scribbled pages of notes on the paintings I saw there that will most certainly enhance the content of my Art History class moving forward. Lastly, no trip to Florence would be complete without a visit to the Accademia Gallery, home to its most treasured work of art, Michelangelo's David. As expected, the combined effect of the sculpture’s scale, stunning physical beauty in gleaming white marble, and the explosive psychological tension it conveys, stopped me in my tracks. You can see it in photographs, but to be able to walk all the way around it and to view it from below, as Michelangelo intented when he carved it, was spectacular. No less interesting to me were his Slaves, a series of unfinished sculptures that show the artist’s carving process and line the hallway leading to David. No photos were allowed inside of the Uffizi or the Accademia Gallery, but I did manage to sneak these of David before the guard could start glaring at me:

My Italian adventure concluded with a day and half in “the Floating City” of Venice, at which point I was feeling rather wilted from the oppressive heat and nonstop touring of museums, palaces and churches for eight straight days. Still, I was excited to explore the narrow passageways, delicate bridges and meandering canals that made the city-state of Venice the great trading center of the Renaissance. I loved finding my way through darkened alleys and across footbridges to the hustle and bustle of St. Mark’s Square, where the sound of live music filled the air while thousands of tired tourists recharged with cappuccinos at shady café tables. The glittering, cavernous interior of the Basilica lived up to its reputation as being one of the world’s greatest and most richly embellished churches. I quickly learned that the best way to see things in Venice is from the water, and I was able to see many of the Gothic palaces and the grand Venetian architecture on a small group boat tour of the Grand Canal, as well as from the front seat of a private gondola, which was such a unique experience. This city was simply enchanting. It is clear that during the Renaissance, wealthy Venetians not only supported many artsits, they also built a city that is a work of art!

Gondola Ride!

Picture perfect bridges and canals

The Rialto Bridge across the Grand Canal, on the boat tour

Gondolas on the water, the Bridge of Sighs in the background

St. Mark's Square/Basilica (no photos allowed inside)

Faded Renaissance frescoes on the sides of the buildings on the Grand Canal

 I’d like to express my sincerest thanks to the Garrett family and the Calvert administrators who made this once-in-a-lifetime trip a reality for me. I feel strongly that one’s experience outside the classroom adds greatly to the experience within the classroom. Having the ability to show students my photos and discuss my own interaction with the culture and masterpieces within these magical cities that Renaissance artists called home gives me the ability to educate and inspire in ways that would not be possible otherwise. I look forward to sharing my new and fresh Renaissance perspective with my students!