Podcast
The Italian Renaissance Podcast
Hosted by Lawrence Gianangeli · EN
The Italian Renaissance Podcast takes you on an exciting journey into fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy, stepping beyond the bounds of general overviews of historical themes of the Renaissance, and diving deeply into interpreting how we understand the period today. Each episode provides an analysis of cultural giants, stories of drama and violence, masterworks of literature, but most importantly, the art.
These discussions are curated for not only the adept history lover, but also the general audience, as an engaging and digestible source of information for those interested in enhancing their own understanding of Western history.
Follow us on Instagram for images and updates: @italian_renaissance_podcast
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 71: Federico da Montefeltro and Urbino feat. Prof. Linda Reynolds
2w ago00:35:42Tap to summarizeArt Historian Linda Reynolds joins me to discuss the history of the court of Duke Federico da Montefeltro. Ruling over Urbino, the Montefeltro court was among the most important centers in Renaissance Italy. Professor Reynolds first explains how a simple mercenary like Federico was able to rise to the status of Duke. From there, she dives into the Duke's patronage of the arts, looking primary at the architecture of his palace in Urbino and his painters, Piero della Francesca and Justus van Ghent. Works Discussed: Luciano Laurana, Palazzo Ducale, Urbino, second phase 1464-72 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_ducale_di_UrbinoThe Ideal City, 1480's https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ideal_City_-_formerly_attributed_to_Luciano_Laurana_-_Galleria_Nazionale_delle_Marche,_UrbinoPiero della Francesca, Double Portrait of Duke Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza, 1473-75 https://www.uffizi.it/opere/i-duchi-di-urbino-federico-da-montefeltro-e-battista-sforzaJustus van Ghent, Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro with His Son Guidobaldo, ca. 1475 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Federico_da_Montefeltro_with_His_Son_GuidobaldoSupport/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastThe Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 70: Perugino and Raphael - The Marriage of the Virgin
4w ago00:21:56Tap to summarizeThis episode examines how artistic influence and innovation intersect in the work of Perugino and Raphael, using their two Marriage of the Virgin paintings as a lens. It explores the defining qualities of Perugino’s calm, orderly style alongside Raphael’s more dynamic and spatially refined approach. Set against the cultural importance of the subject in Renaissance Perugia, the comparison reveals how shared compositions can yield very different visual experiences. Ultimately, the discussion highlights a pivotal artistic moment: the transformation of a master’s visual language into something more expressive, marking Raphael’s emergence as one of the most compelling and influential painters of the Renaissance. Works Discussed: Perugino, Marriage of the Virgin, 1500-1504 https://mba.caen.fr/en/oeuvre/le-mariage-de-la-viergeRaphael, Marriage of the Virgin, 1504 https://pinacotecabrera.org/en/collezioni/collezione-on-line/the-marriage-of-the-virgin/More on Perugino and Raphael in our online course: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-florentine-renaissance/?referralCode=FF28E9B6B8BB41DD78AFSupport/Follow/Watch: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastSupport the show
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Ep. 69: Perugia and Perugino
Apr 2000:26:32Tap to summarizeThis episode explores how Perugia functioned as a dynamic center of Renaissance art and how Perugino emerged as its most influential painter. It considers the city’s political, religious, and economic structures as active forces shaping artistic production, while examining how workshop practices, patronage, and regional identity intersected with broader Florentine influences.At the heart of the discussion is Perugino’s distinctive style—marked by clarity, harmony, and compositional balance—and the role his workshop played in spreading that visual language across central Italy. The episode ultimately frames Perugia not as a peripheral center, but as a key contributor to the artistic networks that helped define the transition toward the High Renaissance.Works Discussed: Perugino, Adoration of the Magi, 1470's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoration_of_the_Magi_(Perugino,_Perugia)Perugino, Apollo and Daphnis, 1475-1500 https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010064934Perugino, Decemviri Altarpiece, 1495/96 https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/la-pinacoteca/sala-vii---secolo-xv-xvi/perugino--la-madonna-col-bambino-e-i-ss--lorenzo--ludovico-di-to.htmlFollow/Support/Watch: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastThe Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Michelangelo Reimagined: Justin Garascia on his New Play: Mikey!
Apr 600:20:21Tap to summarizeMichelangelo takes to the stage, and playwright and actor Justin Garascia joins us to discuss his dynamic reimagining of the early life of Michelangelo. Set in Renaissance Italy, MIKEY! unfolds as a gothic, queer fever dream, moving between the sculpting of David and the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. As Michelangelo reflects on the life that brought him to this moment, he wrestles with how he wants to be remembered — as a sculptor, not a painter.Through a reimagined history, the play asks: what if there was a secret relationship at the House of Medici that shaped the artist’s emotional life and propelled the work we still revere over 500 years later?Crowd Fund: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/mikey-a-new-play/campaigns/f6cecfad-a8b2-4ca1-a00f-b50d6d6e053dShow Dates:Tue, May 19 at 7 PMTue, May 26 at 7 PMThu, May 28 at 7 PMSat, May 30 at 3 PMSun, May 31 at 7 PMTickets on Sale Now: https://thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2026/5/19/mikeyFollow along: @mikeytheplay and @justingarascia (Instagram)Support/Watch/Follow The Italian Renaissance Podcast: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastSupport the show
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Ep. 67: The Sforza Altarpiece
Dec 800:26:26Tap to summarizeThe Sforza Altarpiece (Pala Sforzesca) is among the single most important works of art commissioned by Ludovico il Moro. Through this painting, we can trace both the heavy religious history of Milan and the dynastic ambitions of the Sforza court. By investigating this painting, we can further understand the atmosphere leading to the decline of Sforza power. Additionally, this painting shows the dramatic influence of the convergence of styles in Milan, from Leonardo da Vinci to the Flemish masters. With this comes the complicated attribution of the work, which until very recently, had remained unknown. Work Discussed: Giovanni Angelo Mirofoli (Master of the Sforza Altarpiece), Madonna Enthroned with Child, the Doctors of the Church and the Family of Ludovico il Moro (Sforza Altarpiece), 1495 https://pinacotecabrera.org/collezioni/collezione-on-line/madonna-in-trono-con-il-bambino-i-dottori-della-chiesa-e-la-famiglia-di-ludovico-il-moro-pala-sforzesca/Support/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastThe Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 66: Leonardo da Vinci in the Sforza Court
Nov 2400:32:58Tap to summarizeThere is no better way to explore the art and politics of the Sforza court in Milan than through the eyes of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo spent most of his early career employed by Ludovico il Moro, the regent and eventual Duke of Milan. This episode ties together the drama and intrigue of Sforza court politics with the work Leonardo did during his First Milanese Period (1482-1499). Some of Leonardo's most innovative painting arrived in this period. Beyond his Last Supper, the Renaissance master also worked on court portraits. Looking at both Lady with an Ermine and La Belle Ferronniere, we unpack the history of the ladies of the Sforza court and the complex social structures in Leonardo's Milan. Additionally, we explore the sophistication of Leonardo's style and ingenuity, especially as precursors to his Mona Lisa. This conversation ultimately ties the complicated threads that unite art, court culture, politics, gender, and romance in Renaissance Milan. Support/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastWorks Discussed: Leonardo da Vinci, Genevra de' Benci, ca. 1478 https://www.nga.gov/artworks/50724-ginevra-de-benci-obverseLeonardo da Vinci, Lady with an Ermine, ca. 1490 https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/lady-with-an-ermine-leonardo-da-vinci/HwHUpggDy_HxNQ?hl=en-GBLeonardo da Vinci and workshop, La Belle Ferronniere, ca. 1497 https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010062372Salai, Head of Christ the Redeemer, 1511 https://ambrosiana.it/opere/testa-di-cristo-redentore/The Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 65: Isabella d'Este feat. Eleanor Walker
Nov 1000:27:34Tap to summarizeArt Historian Eleanor Walker joins us this episode to discuss the life and patronage of Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua. Isabella perfectly bridges the northern courts of Este Ferrara and Gonzaga Mantua, serving as the pivotal figure who united the two courts.Eleanor Walker introduces us to the life and vibrant personality of this Renaissance giant, looking at the scope and limitations of women in power in the northern courts. Then we turn to her patronage, diving deep into her portrait by Titian and a copy of another Titian portrait of Isabella by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens. Works Discussed: Titian, Isabella in Black, ca. 1536 https://www.khm.at/kunstwerke/isabella-d-este-markgraefin-von-mantua-1474-1539-1940Peter Paul Rubes, Isabella in Red (copied after Titian), ca. 1605 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_in_Red_(Rubens)Support/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastJennifer Samit and Eleanor Walker, Women Artists in Their own Words: https://www.merrellpublishers.com/9781858947235Jill Burke, How to Be a Renaissance Woman, https://www.amazon.it/How-Renaissance-Woman-Jill-Burke/dp/1788166663/ref=asc_df_1788166663?mcid=84574746f829322698bfc93eb94e80af&tag=googshopit-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=700814440216&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11473624181355666976&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9199215&hvtargid=pla-1888711395289&psc=1&hvocijid=11473624181355666976-1788166663-&hvexpln=0The Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 64: The Camera Picta - Andrea Mantegna in the Gonzaga Court
Oct 2700:27:56Tap to summarizeThis episode looks at how the Gonzaga family of Mantua shaped their political image through art patronage. Ludovico Gonzaga, eager to raise his court’s prestige, brought the painter Andrea Mantegna to Mantua in 1460. Under Gonzaga patronage, Mantegna transformed court painting with his mastery of perspective and classical form. Their collaboration produced the fresco cycle in the Camera degli Sposi, a landmark of Renaissance art that blended dynastic portraiture with political messaging. Together, they turned Mantua into one of the most influential artistic centers of fifteenth-century Italy. Works discussed: Andrea Mantegna, Camera degli sposi / Camera picta, 1465-1475, Mantua.https://www.wga.hu/html_m/m/mantegna/07/index.htmlWatch/Follow/Support: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastThe Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 63: Cintho's Desdemona, feat. Michael Curtotti
Sep 2900:46:11Tap to summarizeJoin me and writer/translator Michael Curtotti on a discussion about the literary patronage of the Este court. Centered around Micheal's new translation of the playwright and novella author Cinzio, our discuss dives deep into the cultural moment of Duke Ercole d’Este’s Ferrara. Michael walks us through the history of Cinzio and his work, both in theater and prose. Further, Michael leads us through his translation of the short story that would eventually influence Shakespeare's Othello, primarily investigatin notions of Renaissance misogyny and racism.Acquire Michael Curtotti's "Cinthio's Desdemona: The Story that Inspired Othello": https://beyondforeignness.org/book/cinthios-desdemona-the-story-that-inspired-othelloSupport/Watch/Follow: linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastThe Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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Ep. 62: Este Ferrara - Borso, Ercole, & Alfonso I
Sep 1500:26:25Tap to summarizeWe continue our journey through the Este court of Ferrara, moving from Borso’s decoration of the Palazzo Schifanoia to the ambitious reign of Ercole I. We explore his transformation of Ferrara with the Addizione Erculea and the dazzling Palazzo dei Diamanti, before turning to his son Alfonso and the overlooked brilliance of court painter Dosso Dossi. Finally, we trace how Este patronage shaped Renaissance literature through Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, a chivalric epic that fused fantasy, wit, and courtly ideals into one of the great masterpieces of the age, one that enabled further crosscurrents between the visual and written world. Support/Watch/Follow: https://linktr.ee/italian_renaissance_podcastWorks Discussed:Palazzo Schifanoia Frescos: https://youtu.be/20FIWIDxEbg?si=_-6t4Iba48X0ozuKPalazzo dei Diamanti: https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rossett/diamant.htmlDosso DossiPortrait of Alfonso I, ca. 1534, https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Battista_Dossi,_ritratto_di_Alfonso_I_d%27Este_-_Modena.jpgTriumph of Bacchus, ca. 1514: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dosso_dossi,_trionfo_di_bacco,_00,1.jpgApollo and Daphne, ca 1525: https://youtube.com/shorts/P3o367FdT_c?si=mwY2Z-7Rr0T2PmycCirce/Melissa, ca 1524: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_(Dossi) The Florentine Renaissance CourseSupport the show
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