POL 459 A People's History of Roman and Renaissance Italy
What was the day-to-day experience of an ancient Roman? Or, a renaissance Florentine? How did this experience differ according to one’s social class, gender, and citizenship? We will explore the ruins of Rome, Ostia Antica and Pompeii to get a sense of what daily life would have been like in these ancient cities, how they were organized, and how politics, culture and society animated them. We will experience how life in ancient Rome and its surrounding areas in Italy differed if you were a senator, a slave, a woman, a farmer, etc. In Florence we examine how the renaissance built—in architecture, visual culture, and city planning--on the ancient Roman legacy to create a radically different world from the one given by the medieval Church. By the end of the course, we will see how ancient Rome’s complicated national and cultural identity was realized in their cities, and the art and culture found within.
Cross Listed Courses
Cross-listed as
CLA 348