History (HIST) 373

Overview

HIST 373 surveys one of the most important periods of history, the Italian Renaissance, from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Out of the late medieval catastrophes of plague, incessant warfare, and religious controversy, Italian artists, writers, and statesmen sought to revive the high culture of ancient Greece and Rome and share it with the rest of Europe. It is often considered the beginning of the modern age. Students will read a sample of writings, in translation, of Renaissance authors, artists, and cut-throat politicians. They’ll encounter famous figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, as well as less familiar writers. Assigned readings from leading modern historians will help students gain an understanding of this important period. The illustrated Study Guide helps students through their assigned readings. Students will hone their research and writing skills by studying an aspect or person from the Renaissance in more detail through one short essay assignment (2,000 to 3,000 words) and one research essay (3,000 to 4,000 words). A final exam tests their knowledge. This course was written by Dr. E. David Gregory, Professor Emeritus of History. An AU tutor is assigned to each HIST 373 student to provide assistance and grade their assignments and exam.

Outline

• Unit 1. Interpreting the Renaissance: Ideas and Issues
• Unit 2. Italian Renaissance Society: Continuity and Change
• Unit 3. The Italian States I: Florence and Rome
• Unit 4. The Italian States II: The Maritime States and the Principalities
• Unit 5. Petrarch, Humanism, and Liberal Studies
• Unit 6. World Views and Philosophy: Neo-Platonism and the Ideal of the Universal Man
• Unit 7. Invasion and Religion: The Florentine Crisis and the Challenge of the Reformation
• Unit 8. Responses to Crisis: Political Thought and Historiography
• Unit 9. The Visual Arts: Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture
• Unit 10. Artists, Writers, Patrons, and Clients
• Unit 11. Types and Uses of Art, Taste, and Iconography
• Unit 12. Case Studies: Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael

Learning outcomes

When you have completed the course, you should be able to:

1. discuss the debates among historians about the nature of the Italian Renaissance since Jacob Burckhardt’s pioneering and seminal interpretation of the subject
2. describe the political geography of the Italian states between 1350 and 1600
3. outline the key events in the history of Italy during the Renaissance era
4. explain the intellectual life of Renaissance Italy, including the Humanist and neo-Platonist movements
5. discuss the artistic advances made by painters, sculptors, and architects in Italy during the Renaissance era
6. analyze the social and economic underpinning of cultural life in Italy during the Renaissance, including the patronage system and the impact of printing technology
7. examine the religious, political, and domestic uses of art, changes in popular taste, and the communication of ideas and values through iconography and allegory
8. outline the lives and artistic careers of key Italian artists, and identify their most celebrated works

Evaluation

To receive credit for HIST 373, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

Other Materials

All other materials, including a Course Information manual, a 12-unit Study Guide, and other assigned readings, are available online through the course home page.

Challenge for credit

Overview

The Challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about Challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the HIST 373 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the entire challenge examination.

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