Images, maps, and material objects that bring the Past to life.

 
florin-22.jpg

Gold Florin

The gold florin, first coined in Florence in 1252, became the common currency of Europe. Dante called it "that damned flower," and many saw it as the root of all problems in Renaissance Italy.

Lorenzo.jpeg

Lorenzo de’ Medici

A 1459 fresco predicts what the young Lorenzo de’ Medici would look like as a young ruler––showing the ideal of beauty and power in the Renaissance.

Rosselli 1508.jpg

The World, 1482

A Florentine artist depicted the known world in this way: most of the globe was blank, still to be discovered.

Barbari.jpeg

Map of Venice, 1500

Jacopo de’ Barbari created a detailed map of Venice in 1500––which required walking through the streets of the city and climbing towers to catch a birds-eye view.

Florence.jpeg

View of Florence with a Chain

In the 1490s, Francesco Rosselli climbed a hill and drew a sketch of Florence. He went back to his print shop, created an engraving, and sold a majestic view of Florence.

Delphic Sibyl.jpg

Michelangelo's Delphic Sybil

Art defines the Renaissance, and Michelangelo was the master. His Delphic Sybil combines power, grace, and wariness in one figure. 

Botticelli.jpeg

The Birth of Venus

Sandro Botticelli painted enormous canvases for the Medici family. Until a religious fanatic named Savonarola convinced the artist to burn some of his paintings.