Course description
The course guides the students in the acquaintance of major topics and protagonists of Venetian Renaissance. It examines the evolution and development of Venetian Art and Architecture from the late XV century to the beginning of the XVII century, focusing on a selection of issues, episodes and artists. A great emphasis will be given to the rediscovery, use and interpretation of classical models of Roman and Greek tradition in all the fields of Renaissance culture, examining the peculiar approach of Venetian culture to antiquity between Rome and Byzantium. Attention will be paid to the relationship with Northern European Renaissance, the advent of new techniques of representation, the manifold languages through which Venetian Renaissance expressed itself in art and architecture.
Objectives of the course are to learn methods to analyse Renaissance works of art in their form, meaning and visual symbolism; to relate artworks to their historical background; to understand the master’s artistic views and intentions; to be able to recognize the major social and historical forces which conditioned Renaissance Art in Italy and in Venice through the analysis of Italian and Venetian intellectual, social, economic and political history; to build a “language of observation”: a proper visual vocabulary to adequately describe artworks; to improve the critical approach to reading, talking and writing on Art and Art history.
The course does not require any specific prerequisites.

Course structure
The course will be held in presence as many times as possible, from the third week on. Lessons will be both in-classroom and on-site. Visits are scheduled to some buildings and museums.
Students in Venice, attending live classes will be required to participate in discussions, by proposing topics on the subject of the lesson, or critical reviews of literature proposed by teachers.
Each lesson will be preceded by a post on the e-learning platform with suggested readings, questions and keywords that will be discussed both in class and in the forum.
In-remote students are expected to watch recorded classes and to participate in the forum.
All students are expected to post contributions on the on-line forum for each lesson or thread.
One-to-one meetings both in presence and on-line will be organized to discuss topic and preparation of the final research work.
Students in Venice are highly recommended to explore the city and the sites mentioned in the lessons, in the syllabus and in the books suggested, to take pictures or videos that can be shared and discussed during the lessons.
Students not in Venice, are highly recommended to explore virtually the city and acquire screenshots and images to propose in the forum.

Evaluation methods
30% participation in class discussions, both in presence and in forums.
30% periodical assignments and class presentation.
40% Final research paper: written essay and class presentation

Bibliography
For a historical background: Lane Frederic, Venice. A Maritime Republic, Baltimore, London, John Hopkins University Press, 1973.
For an overview of Italian Renaissance: Hartt Frederick: A history of Italian Renaissance art: painting, sculpture and architecture, New Jersey: Prentice Hall; New York: Abrams, 2003.
On arts of Renaissance Venice in general: Huse Norbert, Wolters Wolfgang: The art of Renaissance Venice: architecture, sculpture, and painting, 1460-1590, translated by Edmund Jephcott, Chicago London: The University of Chicago press, 1990.
On history of Venetian architecture from the origins: Concina Ennio: A history of Venetian architecture, translated by Judith Landry, Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
On architecture of Renaissance Venice: Tafuri, Manfredo: Venice and the Renaissance, translated by Jessica Levine, Cambridge MA: MIT, 1990.
Goy Richard J.: Building Renaissance Venice: Patrons, Architects and Builders, C. 1430-1500, New Haven and London, 2006.
On Painting of Renaissance Venice: Humfrey Peter: Painting in Renaissance Venice, New Haven: Yale University Press, c1995.

A list of reading assignments and suggestions will be given for each lesson week by week

Schedule
-Venice and the Myth of the Origins
-The image of Venice in 1500. Jacopo de Barbari's View.
-Renaissance. Birth, meanings and fortune of an ideal.
-Before and about. Renaissance Padua.
-Entering the Renaissance Venice: The porta magna at the Arsenal.
-From late Gothic to Renaissance, between Byzantium and Rome. Church of San Zaccaria.
-Plans and domes. Religious buildings at the end of the 15th century and the beginnings of the 16th.
-From house to palace. Private buildings between magnificence and austerity.
-Art, Architecture and collectors. Palazzo Grimani and the Grimani collection
-Sculpting Venetian Renaissance. Church of San Giovanni e Paolo
-Building a new Venice. Jacopo Sansovino.
-The languages of the Renaissance. St Mark’s square. Tullio Lombardo's Cappella Zen and Sansovino's Loggetta.
-Altarpieces, teleri and quadri. New techniques, new visions.
-Scuole grandi: art and architecture of Charity. Scuola Grande di san Rocco.
-A shrine of Venetian Renaissance: Basilica dei Frari.
-Shaping the city. Venice and the lagoon. Waters and borders in the Renaissance.
-Inventing the landscape. From Bellini and Carpaccio to Giorgione.
-Titian from the the Sleeping Venus to the Ariadne of the Andrians.
-Portraying the Renaissance Man.
-Institutional Renaissance. Art and architecture of the Doge’s Palace
-Printed in Venice. Aldo Manuzio, Pietro Bembo and the print for spreading ancient and new languages.
-The Renaissance "bottega": an international workshop.
-Palladio. Visit to San Giorgio Island. Church and Monastery of San Giorgio.
-The Accademia National Gallery.

Extra Curricular Activity
Andrea Palladio. Towards a universal classicism. Visit to Villa Emo and Villa Barbaro.