The Italian Renaissance

This general introduction to the Renaissance examines the phenomenon through the eyes of contemporaries as well as those of later historians. It looks at the humanists as a group, and studies their careers, their interests, the views that they advocated and the many respects in which they influenced cultural development. The book introduces the artists of the period, their relationship with the humanists and the changes they brought about. The patrons of both groups are discussed, together with the view that the Renaissance has socio-economic as well as formal cultural explanations. Finally, the spread of these ideas and fashions, through an educational programme and through international contacts, is explored.