The Civilisation of the Period of the Renaissance in Italy The Civilisation of the Period of the Renaissance in Italy 2 Volume Set Series

On several journeys to Italy in the mid-nineteenth century, the Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt (1818?97) saw in the figures and events of the Italian Renaissance certain traits that he believed to be mirrored in the politics of his own day, notably some aspects of 'an unbridled egoism, outraging every right, and killing every germ of a healthier culture'. Revolutionary in his all-encompassing and unflinching examination of the Italian Renaissance, Burckhardt saw developments in statecraft and war as giving rise to the more publicised artistic progress of the era. First published in 1860, this work is considered to be his magnum opus on the subject, and is here reissued in the accessible two-volume English translation of 1878 by S. G. C. Middlemore. In Volume 2, Burckhardt considers three key themes: scientific discoveries concerning the world and the cosmos, changes in society and festivals, and developments in the fields of morality and religion.

Part IV. The Discovery of the World and of Man: 1. Journeys of the Italians; 2. Natural science in Italy; 3. The discovery of natural beauty; 4. The discovery of man; 5. Biography; 6. The description of nations and cities; 7. Description of the outward man; 8. Descriptions of life in movement; Part V. Society and Festivals: 1. The equalisation of class; 2. Outward refinement of life; 3. Language as the basis of social intercourse; 4. The higher forms of society; 5. The perfect man of society; 6. The position of women; 7. Domestic economy; 8. The festivals; Part VI. Morality and Religion: 1. Morality; 2. Religion in daily life; 3. Religion and the spirit of the Renaissance; 4. Mixture of ancient and modern superstitions; 5. General disintegration of belief.