Overview

In this newly revised edition of his widely acclaimed work, Peter Burke presents a social and cultural history of the Italian Renaissance. He discusses the social and political institutions that existed in Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and he analyzes the ways of thinking and seeing that characterized this period of extraordinary artistic creativity. Developing a distinctive approach, the author is concerned not only with the finished works of Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and others, but also with the social background, patterns of recruitment, and means of subsistence of this ""cultural elite."" He thus makes a major contribution both to our understanding of the Italian Renaissance and to our comprehension of the complex relations between culture and society.

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[This book's] fundamental concern with exploring in a rigorous fashion how cultural change and--to admit one's bias--achievement is related to the economic, social, and political structure of an age remains a vital interest. -- Joachim W. Stieber The Sixteenth Century Journal A superb introduction to Renaissance culture and society. Renaissance Quarterly A fascinating tour de force. American Historical Review Burke handles both breadth and depth of a most creative and complex period with balance, sensibility, and solid supportive arguments... This is an indispensable study for historians, sociologists, and anyone interested in one of the most remarkable periods of European history. Choice

[This book's] fundamental concern with exploring in a rigorous fashion how cultural change and--to admit one's bias--achievement is related to the economic, social, and political structure of an age remains a vital interest. -- Joachim W. Stieber, The Sixteenth Century Journal A superb introduction to Renaissance culture and society. -- Renaissance Quarterly A fascinating tour de force. -- American Historical Review Burke handles both breadth and depth of a most creative and complex period with balance, sensibility, and solid supportive arguments... This is an indispensable study for historians, sociologists, and anyone interested in one of the most remarkable periods of European history. -- Choice

Author Information

Peter Burke is Reader in Cultural History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

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