FLOR3012: Florence and the Mediterranean: A Sea of Culture

During the Middle Ages and in the early Modern Age, three great civilizations clashed for the control of the Mediterranean basin: the Latin West, the Byzantine Empire, and the Muslim world. But the sea was not just a theatre of war, it was also a lively economic area, with trade routes crossing it from north to south, from east to west. Moreover, it was the place where different cultures met: This course will explore their reciprocal influence, with a special focus on art history and a mainly Italian and Florentine point of view. Topics will include: the impact of Islamic art on Western culture; the role of Byzantine art in the development of Florentine painting; the rediscovery of Greek classical culture and its importance in Renaissance civilization; the consequences of the fall of Constantinople and of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Students will explore Florentine churches, palaces, and museums in search of visual evidence of the links between the city and the diversity of Mediterranean culture.

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