Introdução de Peter Burke. ( )

Published in 1860, Burckhardt's great work redefined our sense of the European past, wholly reinterpreting what has since been known simply as the Italian Renaissance. With unsurpassed erudition, Burckhardt illuminates a world of artistic and cultural ferment, innovation, and discovery; of revived humanism; of fierce tensions between church and empire; and of the birth of both the modern state and the modern individual. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy remains the single most important and influential account of this crucial moment in the history of the West.

Yes, 150 years of scholarship have passed this by. Yes, the Middle Ages were more subtle than Burckhardt claims. Yes, he made a number of dubious generalizations about the Italian character, but remember this is an essay. As such, it is a good place to start for a study of the Renaissance. Will probably only read once. ( )