Art Pursuits 2022 brochure

ITALY
ITALIAN COURT CITIES
The Rise of the Italian City-State During the Renaissance
Palazzo Ducale, Camera degli Sposi, Mantua
The rise of the Italian city-state during the Renaissance defines a period of paradoxical contrast. Although scourged by
often tyrannical rule and frequent territorial warfare, the great ruling dynasties of the period, among them the Montefeltro,
Malatesta, Sforza and Gonzaga families, enabled through their patronage a flowering of artistic, intellectual and
architectural ambition that gave birth to some of the most splendid examples of art and architecture of the Renaissance
period. This tour will explore the cultural flourishing of two of the most representative of Northern Italian court cities
– the romantic Mantua, known by locals as La Bella Addormentata, the sleeping beauty, and the picturesque Urbino.
In its island-like position in the middle of three artificial lakes, Mantua was the setting for one of the most illustrious
courts of the Renaissance Italy, ruled by the Gonzaga family from 1328. In the Renaissance the hill town of Urbino,
under the rule of Federico da Montefeltro, experienced a cultural flowering beyond compare. Federico’s Palazzo Ducale
is widely regarded as the most beautiful of Italian Renaissance palaces. We will end the tour visiting Pesaro and the
Villa Imperiale in the hills outside the city, an outstanding example of Mannerist architecture. This tour will bring to life
these vibrant cities, and the fierce rivalries between their noble families which served to stimulate the urban expression
of Renaissance ideals.
14 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com