Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2018 - ITAL 391 D100

STT - The Medicean Circle (3)

Class Number: 12622

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Tue, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    30 units or permission of instructor.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Acquaints students with the Medicean court of Lorenzo the Magnificient, and its contributions to Humanist thought, art, and literature.

COURSE DETAILS:

Florence of the period between the fourteenth and the sixteenth century can be argued to represent not just the moment but also the surprisingly circumscribed place where Western modernity begins. In support of this thesis we will first briefly address the legacy of the “three crowns” of Florence—Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio, and of their towering cultural achievements, and then we will follow as the city quickly moves into a period of militant humanism by the fifteenth century, and spend the bulk of our time at the court of enlightened Renaissance prince, lavish patron of the arts, and man of letters Lorenzo de’ Medici. It is here that, over a mere few decades, a statistically improbable number of pivotal writers, thinkers, and artists completed much of their best work.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Students will become acquainted with a cultural matrix, namely the Medicean court of Lorenzo the Magnificient, that at its seminal marquee moment has made some of the most lasting contributions to Humanist thought and art, whether it be in the field of literature (Poliziano), philosophy (Ficino, Della Mirandola), political thought and practice (Machiavelli, Lorenzo de’ Medici), or figurative art (Botticelli, Michelangelo).  

Grading

  • Quizzes on the day’s readings 15%
  • Bibliographical review 15%
  • Presentation 15%
  • Final Essay 35%
  • Attendance and participation 20%

NOTES:

Required Work:
- assigned reading completed before each class
- active participation in class discussion
- bibliographical review (1-2 pages)
- class presentation
- final essay on a topic to be approved by the instructor and turned in at the last scheduled meeting (8-10 pages)

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Gene Brucker. Renaissance Florence. University of California Press, 1983

P. Bonadanella, J. Conway, M. Musa (eds). The Italian Renaissance Reader. Penguin, 1987

Additional materials to be provided through Canvas, online and/or on reserve library holdings, and photocopy.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS