“This was an AMAZING experience. Everything I hoped for and more!”
- Hillary, 2013 course
This May, explore Florence, Italy, where the Renaissance was born,
visiting the homes and haunts of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Savonarola, and the Medici. Did any of these men make the Renaissance happen?
visiting the homes and haunts of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Savonarola, and the Medici. Did any of these men make the Renaissance happen?
...then road trip through Tuscany, to sun-drenched southern France. Walk the ancient streets of Arles, "Gaul's Little Rome," and take a seat in the Roman arena (still in use!), pondering the reasons Rome was so revered during the Renaissance. Was that reverence justified?
In nearby Avignon, explore the palace of the Pope, the largest Medieval building in the world, and the birthplace of the "Great Schism". Is this where the Renaissance really started?
In the French countryside, swim beneath the magnificent ancient Roman Pont du Gard, and visit the picturesque village that was the home of Petrarch, "The Father of Humanism." Was it Petrarch who started it all?
Next, a high-speed train whisks you across the countryside of France, under the English Channel, to Warwick, England -- Shakespeare Country. Discover Shakespeare's houses, grand castles, dramatic ruins, and see Shakespeare performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company (the world's best!). Was this the high point of the Renaissance?
An intense study of the history and philosophy of the European Renaissance, this course emphasizes critical thinking: you will be presented with today's prominent historical debates and philosophical puzzles. Examining the evidence first-hand, you will discover your own answers.
By the end of the course, your mind will be brimming with ideas and questions. And so, we close with a seminar inside the ruins of Kenilworth Castle (above), the site of the greatest pageant of Elizabethan times. There Professors Bernard Capp and Peter Marshall, two of the great minds of early modern history, will speak on the Renaissance in England, and answer your questions.
“This whole experience legitimately changed my life.
I’ve made new lifelong friends and have stories which will stay with me for the rest of my life.” – Rachel, 2013 course
Join us for this rare, life-changing opportunity!
