Itialian Renaissance

What I Learned

Renaissance is a term meaning rebirth and all of this began in Italy. This was a time when classical forms were refined and adapted for new uses. At this time everyone, no matter their monetary status, was interested in the arts. This was the first time that the arts were focused on interior/residential design. The design was inspired by ancient Rome and Greece. They dug up some ancient site and modeled their buildings after them.

The Florence Cathedral was the most important religious structure in Florence at this time. It was designed by Brunelleschi who built it based on inspiration from the Pantheon. 

Florence Cathedral

Palazzos were the style of house at this time. Their facades implemented important design elements such as repetition, alternation, and progression.  This style was well known for having three divisions, compound windows, and a heavy projecting cornice. Palazzos also had a central courtyard that was similar to that of a Roman domus. It contained now hallways, had walls pierced with niches, and had living space on the second and third floors over a store which was similar to the Roman insula.

Palazzo Facade

Palazzo Farnese by Michelangelo

The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi was designed by Michelozzo di Bartolommeo who was an architect for the Medici family. The Medici family were very influential patrons of the arts at this time. Floor plans for building included three guiding principles: symmetry, public rooms were immediately accessible from the mail entrance, and the Palazzo would be divided into smaller apartments. Rustication was used on the facade of this particular Palazzo. This process makes the exterior appear rugged and rustic like a fortress. 

Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

This shows the rustication better.

My Favorites

Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo.

Savonarola Chair

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Modern Applications

Cher's Itatalian Renaissance-style California villa.

Rodarte, a California-based fashion label, released a collection of dresses that was inspired by Italian art, specifically Renaissance frescoes in the monastery of San Marco by Fra Angelico in Florence, as well as the Baroque sculpture - Ecstasy of Saint Teresa - by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome. Frescoes have vibrant colors that look chalky so that's one of the main fresco influences in these dresses. They found colors that were chalky but still vibrant.

Annalena Altarpiece by Fra Angelico - One of the inspiration pieces for the dresses.

Bonus: Italian Renaissance in Pop Culture

The Mona Lisa is an extremely famous painting that is recognized by almost everyone worldwide. This is why it is not surprising that several versions of it have shown up in pop culture. Here's one of the better examples:

Lego Mona Lisa

Another da Vinci piece, Vitruvian Man, has shown up in Pop Culture. This example is of a design created for a T-shirt that mixes the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender with Vitruvian Man.

The original Vitruvian Man

The T-shirt spin-off.