Italian Renaissance Research Articles

The transhistorical, transcultural life of sausages: From medieval morescas to New Mexican Matachines with Aby Warburg

New Mexican Matachines dances have long been discussed as descendent dances of medieval morescas. This article explores this ‘ancestral relation’, beginning on New Year’s Day in 1896 at the colonial outpost of Cubero, New Mexico. There, the German art historian Aby Warburg met a local shepherd who endeavoured to explain the pantomimic killing of a bull in the dance drama by saying the blood was ‘good for making sausages.’ Accordingly, this article investigates Warburg’s lifelong exploration of Matachines antecedents in the margins of his research on early Italian Renaissance images of medieval festive drama, and ‘headhuntress’ figures, such as Judith and Salome. Warburg’s thoughts on New Mexican Matachines meandered over the course of his life from Aztec sacrifice to medieval morescas, to the Mithras cult. Through these explorations, Warburg pursued a cultural evolutionary theory that would situate New Mexican Matachines as a descendent of antique pagan blood ceremony.

Addiction: A treatise from 1561.

In 1561, physician and philosopher Pascasius Justus Turq published a monograph on the description and treatment of pathological gambling. When the monograph came to the attention of the authors in 2006, there existed no known translation of it in any modern language. In 2014, it was translated and published in French. This paper analyses the monograph's key content elements and its place in the history of the concept of addiction. A contextual analysis of the late Italian Renaissance, followed by key excerpts from the text and commentaries on the meaning and significance of the monograph. Pascasius Justus Turq's 1561 monograph on pathological gambling outlines a disease view of gambling, identifies cognitive processes and biological vulnerabilities as aetiological factors, avoids religious or moral judgements and recommends cognitive treatment to change the beliefs and expectancies of gamblers. This study shows that a 'disease formulation' of addiction was enunciated as early as the 16th century, and its contemporary resonance suggests that current clinical features of addictive disorders have existed for centuries.

Hankins, James. Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy

Hankins, James. Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy

Treatise of Jacopo Berengario da Carpi “De fractura calve”

This article describes the treatise “De fractura calve” (“About skull fractures”) of the famous Italian Renaissance physician and anatomist Jacopo Berengario da Carpi, published in 1518. In this work, rightly considered a milestone in the history of neurosurgery and neurotraumatology, the author not only described the symptoms of head injuries, but also offered their classification, basics of differential diagnosis, surgical tactics, and the necessary instruments.

Incipit tertia decima que est de artificio zuchari – rozdział o sztuce cukierniczej w Lumen apothecariorum Quirica de Augustisa z 1492 roku i jego rola w badaniach nad genezą cukiernictwa

The article is a commentary on the Chapter 13 of Lumen apothecariorum, written in 1492 by Quirico de Augustis, a Piedmontese physician and apothecary, who lived at the turn of the 16th century. This chapter was published in Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. Prace Historyczne, vol. 149 (2022), no. 2. At the beginning, the author analyses the content of this chapter, entitled De artificio zuchari (On sugar craft), and characterises the typology of 31 recipes for sweets. Next, he presents the ingredients of sweets manufactured on the basis of these recipes, methods recommended for sugar processing, and the tools used for this purpose. In the next section the author focuses on probable sources of Quirico de Augustis’ inspiration and the impact of his recipes for sweets on other collections of recipes in the 16th century. The final section is devoted to the discussion of the importance of this source in the studies on the early Renaissance Italian and European confectionery. The author emphasises the fact that the first person to specifically address the area of confectionery production and to collect the recipes for different types of sweets in a separate chapter was Quirico de Augustis (in his work entitled Lumen apothecariorum) and not Paulo Suardo (in his work entitled Thesaurus apothecariorum, published in Milan in 1496). Thanks to its numerous editions, translations and citations, Chapter 13 of Quirico de Augustis’ Lumen apothecariorum exerted a great impact on the European confectionery in modern times. The evidence of this impact can be noticed in the fact that all 31 recipes from the chapter De artificio zuchari were included in the Polish version Sekrety Aleksego Pedemontana (The Secrets of the Reverend Maister Alexis of Piedmont), published by Marcin Siennik in Cracow in 1568.

How Republics Perish: Lodovico Alamanni, the Medici, and Transformational Leadership

ABSTRACT The goals of the present study are to relate the transactional and transformational aspects of modern leadership theory to the history of Medici rule and influence in Renaissance Florentine politics, and, at the same time, to test leadership models against the humanist debates on the accession of the Medici to power. I will focus on the Discorso sopra il fermare lo stato di Firenze nella devozione de’ Medici [Discourse on holding the State of Florence in devotion to the Medici], written in 1516 by Lodovico Alamanni (1488–1526), a prominent Florentine statesman. Alamanni’s Discorso relates to the first restoration of the Medici government and engages with a number of issues that animate Machiavelli’s political theory as well as other memoranda for the Medici contemporaneous with The Prince. I argue that the two categories of leadership—the transactional and the transformational—first proposed by James MacGregor Burns, provide a new way of specifying Alamanni’s intentions and, by comparison, those of contemporary authors, including Machiavelli. I will also demonstrate that Alamanni’s work exemplifies more vividly than other political writings of the Medici period an approach to leadership that is predicated upon the combination of the transactional and transformational paradigms.

Идеи итальянского возрождения в философских взглядах Максима Грека

The article discusses how the ideas of the Italian Renaissance influenced the philosophical views of St. Maximus the Greek, and how they are reflected in his works. The object of this article is the philosophical views of Maxim the Greek, translator and religious figure in Rus' in the 16th century. On the basis of the analysis of his works, a picture of his philosophical views is drawn up. The study of the philosopher's ideas is carried out in the context of the religious and cultural situation of Rus' in the 16th century. The article also discusses the personality of Maxim the Greek himself, and how his life path influenced the philosopher's thinking and his public activities. The duality of the views of Maxim the Greek on the ideas of humanism through the analysis of his texts is noted. It is shown how through his teachings it is possible to trace both the influence of ancient philosophy and Christian content. The texts touching upon the idea of humanism are analyzed, and how the works of Savonarola and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola influenced this. The influence that he had on the cultural life of Rus' in the first half of the 16th century is considered. Particular attention is paid to the ideas of non-possessors, and how Maxim the Greek influenced this teaching. The relevance of these texts in the context of the study of Russian philosophy is noted.

H08 The Crimson Chronicles of acne rosacea: a fascinating tale of medicine and culture

Abstract Acne rosacea is a common skin condition that affects people with Fitzpatrick skin types I–III and is characterized by flushing, erythema, telangiectasia, pustules, papules and phyma (Jansen T. Clinical presentations and classification of rosacea. Ann Dermatol Venereol 2011; 138:3). This condition has been around for centuries and is referred to in literature and art throughout history. The earliest reference to acne rosacea can be traced back to the third century Bc, where it was mentioned in the writings of Greek poet Theocritus. It has also been referred to in various forms of literature, including the character of Summoner in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Bardolf in Shakespeare’s Henry VI (Cribier B. Histoires de visages rouges. Ann Dermatol Venereol 2011; 138:2). In art, the condition is famously depicted in Italian Renaissance painter Domenico Ghirlandaio’s ‘The Old Man and His Grandson’, now housed in the Louvre. The colour red, a prominent characteristic of acne rosacea, has had a significant role in literature, symbolizing everything from love and passion to anger and violence. French novelists Balzac and Proust used it as a motif in ‘The Red Face’ or ‘Le Visage Rouge’ to denote violence and as a marker of the working classes. In the 14th century, French surgeon Guy de Chauliac was the first to document clinically the condition, referring to it as goutterose or ‘pink droplet’. It was in the 18th and 19th centuries that significant strides were made in understanding the nature of acne rosacea. Dr Jean Astruc, known as the father of venereal diseases, characterized the condition as ‘erythematous, varicose and scaly’. In 1812, the official term ‘acne rosacea’ first appeared in a medical text by English dermatologist Dr Thomas Bateman. Further references to the condition can be found in the 1817 publication On Cutaneous Diseases by dermatology pioneer Dr Robert Willan. In 1834, physician Robert Macnish explicitly linked acne rosacea to alcohol consumption in his book Anatomy of Drunkenness. The differentiation between acne vulgaris and acne rosacea was firmly established following the work of Austrian dermatologist Hebra and French dermatologist Darier. In the past, treatments for acne rosacea included salves containing mercury, sulfur, bull’s blood, blood-letting and leeches. Today, topical and oral antibiotics are the standard treatments, a far cry from the remedies of yesteryear. In conclusion, the history of acne rosacea, which is so much more than just le visage rouge, is a captivating journey that spans centuries, from its earliest references in literature and art to the contemporary understanding and treatment of the condition.

KNOWLEDGE-BASED MODELLING FOR AUTOMATIZING HBIM OBJECTS. THE VAULTED CEILINGS OF PALAZZO DUCALE IN URBINO

Abstract. Vault modelling in HBIM poses a significant challenge due to the geometrical complexity and lack of standardization of those elements. Starting from the definition of an ontology able to describe and manage different typologies of Italian Renaissance vaults, this paper presents two methods for their representation in the context of Ducal Palace of Urbino HBIM implementation. The first method is a simplified semi-automated scan-to-BIM procedure relying on Revit adaptive families; the second is a more complex parametric scripting in Dynamo VPL. The paper proposes a library of suitable vault families for the parametric modelling of Renaissance architecture and offers a comparison between the models generated and their respective surveyed point-clouds, with the aim of assessing the procedure. Revit adaptive families appeared to be the easiest to implement and the most efficient solution, while Dynamo allowed for greatest complexity thought showing limitations and implementation difficulties.

Humanism, Universities, and Jesuit Education in Late Renaissance Italy , by Paul F. Grendler

Humanism, Universities, and Jesuit Education in Late Renaissance Italy , by Paul F. Grendler

Albanian Civil Code 1929 as Part of the European Family of Civil Law

Background: The Civil Code would dictate the affiliation of Albanian civil law to the Romano- Germanic family, finally separating it from Ottoman law. This Code, to this day, preserves its contemporary character, individuality, and integrity, not only because it is based on the idea of protecting basic human rights and freedoms, as well as the democratic model of society that inspired it, which always remain valid, but also that it continues as a working tool for specialists in this field. Undoubtedly, foreign rights, especially French, Italian, and to some extent, German and Swiss, would inspire the Albanian legislator to sanction in its provisions the equality of all citizens, the emancipation of land ownership, and the freedom to engage in economic activities. Methods: The methodology used during the drafting of this paper is mainly based on Albanian and foreign doctrinal views, focusing in particular on the Italian and European doctrines, due to this doctrine and this legislation being referred to by our legislator at the time of drafting the Civil Code. Also, among the methods used in this paper are the analysis and comparative methods.Results and Conclusions: The acceptance of foreign law in the Civil Code of Zog, more than “a matter of quality”, was a “matter of power”, because foreign rights, especially French and Italian, which found their sanction in this Code, they were rights belonging to the spiritual influence of modern civilization, and above all, to that of the “Italian Renaissance” and the “French Revolution.”

Воспитание и обучение детей в Италии эпохи Возрождения

The article tells about family upbringing and educational opportunities for children from wealthy families in Renaissance Italy. Renaissance Italian families were patriarchal and multi-generational. The stable position of the family required the presence of a sufficient number of children. Wealthy and noble families helped their heirs get a good education. The children received their primary education in private and municipal educational institutions. Higher education was provided by universities, in the teaching of which humanistic tendencies were growing.

Research on the Influence of Western Renaissance Thought on Modern Painting Art

The comparison between poetry and painting in the Renaissance has ancient origins, which was directly inspired by some ancient scholars' comments on the relationship between poetry and painting. People admire outstanding works of art, but they think that artistic creation is contemptible physical labor. Therefore, even the best artists are just excellent craftsmen. In the Italian Renaissance, a large number of outstanding painters emerged, and they made great achievements in art, leaving behind a painting aesthetic theory that benefited the whole western painting field. In this paper, the author analyzes the influence of western Renaissance thought on modern painting art, taking Italian Renaissance paintings as representatives. The Renaissance not only had a far-reaching impact on European society and politics, but also affected modern painting art to another extent. Advocating individual freedom, with the help of rationality and scientific knowledge, vivid images and real scenes are reproduced, which creates realism.

Acanthus and Mughal Architecture: Western Influence on Wazir Khan Ornamentation

The widely recognised historical ornament acanthus was used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and other ancient civilisations. Historic civilisations frequently employed symbols and ornaments in their architecture to represent a specific subject matter or the aesthetic value or aspect of the ornamental elements for aesthetic and conceptual purposes. However, this study aims to explore the Western influence of acanthus on the architecture of the Mughal era, especially the Wazir Khan Mosque. Moreover, it also explores the voyage of acanthus ornament from the Italian Renaissance to South Asia. It uses a descriptive qualitative method to assess that the acanthus, a European ornament, was used as an architectural ornament or a decorative theme throughout Mughals architecture. Findings reveal that the acanthus travelled from Europe to South Asia as a result of aesthetic and artistic trade and developed and evolved during the Mughals.

:Forgotten Healers: Women and the Pursuit of Health in Late Renaissance Italy

:<i>Forgotten Healers: Women and the Pursuit of Health in Late Renaissance Italy</i>

Belonging to the Individual or the Collective? The Urban Residence as a Public/Private Building in Renaissance Italy (1300-1500)

This article explores the public/private character of the urban residences of the social and political elite in Renaissance Italy. The public-private dichotomy is not understood here in terms of accessibility or openness, but in terms of ownership and belonging. Although the residence was owned by the private family, it also belonged to the urban and civic community, as well as the communal authorities. Praise for urban residences in written sources are both an expression and an active contribution to this phenomenon. Such praise presented urban residences as ornaments of the city that made a fundamental contribution to its splendour and beauty. Urban residences also assumed an increasingly prominent position in the urban fabric, along those roads that the political authorities developed into the representational face of the city. Finally, financing mechanisms led to a more ambiguous status of the urban residence as a public/private building. In several cities, communal authorities financed, in part or in full, the construction of such buildings. By exploring the public/private character of urban residential architecture in Renaissance Italy in terms of ownership and belonging, this article contributes to the many studies that have already explored this topic, but mainly in terms of design and use.

Two Illustrated Horoscopes of the Italian Renaissance

Abstract Among astral representations in Renaissance paintings and frescoes, a particular and very complex class stands out: that of Illustrated Horoscopes, that is, complete charts disguised under the cover of innocent pastoral landscapes or conventional mythological scenes. Two examples pertaining to this elusive class are proposed and analyzed in this article. The first is a Giorgionesque painting in the Royal Gallery in Dresden, the so-called Horoscope, that probably portrays the casting of a birth-chart for Ercole II d’Este, the son of Lucrezia Borgia, and at the same time a scene from the epic of Orlando and the Paladins. The second is Zucchi’s Assembly of the Gods, a copper panel painted for Ferdinando de Medici’s studiolo in the Roman Villa Medici, which arranges the planetary divinities in correlation to the zodiacal constellations, building the extraordinary nativity of the owner. Both astrological charts, albeit veiled and ambiguous by nature, are substantiated by internal signals, verified on the basis of contemporary horoscopes, and justified by the overall painting narrative.

Armand Point’s The Princess and the Unicorn

Abstract This article discusses the literary and visual symbolism in Armand Point’s The Princess and the Unicorn. Point composed several versions of this mysterious legend in pastel, enamel, and bas-relief. Under the artistic influences of the medieval tapestry of the Lady and the Unicorn, the French painter Gustave Moreau, and the Italian Renaissance painter Alessandro Botticelli, Point unveils a spiritual creation that in its form, content, and medium seeks to evoke the ‘soul’ in a work of art.

Zuan Bianco and Othello: The Afro-European Military Commander in Life and Art

Buried in a footnote in the 1869 second edition of Jacob Burckhardt’s Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy lies one of most intriguing facets of the history of Black Africans in early modern Europe. A compulsive reader of (and compiler of notes from) Renaissance texts, Burckhardt had observed that a high-ranking Venetian military officer of Black African ancestry was briefly cited in one of the most important accounts of the battle between Charles VIII of France and his Italian enemies at Fornovo di Taro in July of 1495. What immediately jumped to Burckhardt’s mind, as it does to that of a modern reader, was a possible connection to Shakespeare’s Othello (1604). After the citation of his source, the only comment Burckhardt made was this: “ein Neger (Aethiops) als höherer venezianischer Offizier, wonach auch Othello als Neger gefasst werrden kann” (“a Negro [‘Ethiopian’] as a high Venetian officer, according to which Othello can be understood as a Negro”).1 This essay will outline what is known (and not known) of this commander, provide some context for understanding his appearance in the historical record, and evaluate whether his career might have played an indirect role in generating the Black African protagonist of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Od polyarchií k autokraciím: Studium režimních transformací a jeho reflexe

This essay addresses several pertinent issues of interpretations of processes of autocratization pertaining to two different historical contexts. The authors seek to identify major arguments concerning theoretical backgrounds in the current agendas of research into the transitions from the polyarchic republican city-states to the authoritarian regimes of personal power in the Renaissance Italy and into the contemporary processes of autocratic reversals. The authors strive to show that it is useful to pay thorough attention to varying theoretical challenges characterizing agendas of research into historically diverse regime transitions. In such a way, it is possible to expose and assess limits and directionality of prevailing research programs. This seems important in order to gain new incentives for an advancement of thinking about both contemporary and historical processes of autocratization and to enhance a promising cross-fertilization of the study of regime changes conducted by political science, historical sociology and historiography.