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The Great Courses Plus

How the Medici Shaped the Renaissance

via The Great Courses Plus

Overview

<p>The extraordinary Medici family ruled the city-state of Florence for three centuries and played a key role in the world-changing phenomenon of the Renaissance. In <strong>How the Medici Shaped the Renaissance</strong>, scholar William Landon leads you through the dazzling trajectory of the Medici, where you’ll trace the founding of the Medici dynasty as an economic powerhouse. Learn how the Medici played central roles in the preserving of classical texts and the commissioning of iconic works of art and architecture. Encounter Medici luminaries from Lorenzo the Magnificent, a political genius of the highest order, to Catherine de’ Medici, cultural influencer and queen of France. Lastly, follow how the Medici were exiled from Florence and returned to power numerous times, ultimately becoming hereditary rulers.</p>

Syllabus

  • By This Professor
  • 01: Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance
  • 02: The Foundations of Medici Greatness
  • 03: The Godfather: Cosimo de’ Medici
  • 04: The Gouty: Piero de’ Medici
  • 05: Lorenzo the Magnificent
  • 06: Magnificence Achieved
  • 07: The First Collapse of the Medici Regime
  • 08: Theocracy and Republicanism at Florence
  • 09: The Medici Restoration
  • 10: The Last Florentine Republic
  • 11: The Black Prince: Alessandro de’ Medici
  • 12: Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Taught by

William Landon

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