The Civilization Of The Renaissance In Italy: An Essay
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
First published in 1860, Jacob Burckhardt's The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy stands as one of the most monumental and enduring works of cultural history ever written, a text that single-handedly shaped how the modern world understands the Renaissance. With the precision of a scholar and the vision of a philosopher, Burckhardt chronicles the transformation of Italian society between the 13th and 16th centuries, arguing that it was here — in the city-states of Florence, Venice, and Rome — that the modern conception of the individual was born. He presents the Renaissance not merely as an artistic movement, but as a total civilisational flowering: a revolution in politics, morality, warfare, art, and the very idea of what it means to be human. Burckhardt's prose is measured yet deeply evocative, weaving together portraiture of condottieri and popes, humanists and courtiers, into a rich tapestry that feels as alive today as it did in the nineteenth century. His argument — that the Italian Renaissance was the cradle of modernity — has been debated, challenged, and refined by generations of historians, yet never truly overturned, a testament to the work's extraordinary intellectual power. This is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand not only the Renaissance, but the very foundations of Western culture itself — and one cannot help but wonder what Burckhardt would make of the world his modern individual ultimately created.
Author: Jacob Burckhardt
Format: Hardback
Genre: Essays
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
First published in 1860, Jacob Burckhardt's The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy stands as one of the most monumental and enduring works of cultural history ever written, a text that single-handedly shaped how the modern world understands the Renaissance. With the precision of a scholar and the vision of a philosopher, Burckhardt chronicles the transformation of Italian society between the 13th and 16th centuries, arguing that it was here — in the city-states of Florence, Venice, and Rome — that the modern conception of the individual was born. He presents the Renaissance not merely as an artistic movement, but as a total civilisational flowering: a revolution in politics, morality, warfare, art, and the very idea of what it means to be human. Burckhardt's prose is measured yet deeply evocative, weaving together portraiture of condottieri and popes, humanists and courtiers, into a rich tapestry that feels as alive today as it did in the nineteenth century. His argument — that the Italian Renaissance was the cradle of modernity — has been debated, challenged, and refined by generations of historians, yet never truly overturned, a testament to the work's extraordinary intellectual power. This is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand not only the Renaissance, but the very foundations of Western culture itself — and one cannot help but wonder what Burckhardt would make of the world his modern individual ultimately created.