Renaissance in Europe Series – serie

The evolution and reception of the Renaissance was mediated by developments in various other spheres of early modern life and culture. Foremost among these were the religious changes initiated by the Protestant Reformation, which are discussed in the opening chapters of this book. Religious and cultural developments in Germany are contrasted with sixteenth-century Spain and are further explored through the study of the picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes.The place of Renaissance science or natural philosophy is also the subject of critical evaluation in this book. Case studies on the anatomical revolution, Galileo and court patronage, and Paracelsus illustrate new approaches in the field. Subsequent chapters explore the Renaissance fascination with witchcraft and demonology in both learned discourse (Pico’s Strix) and popular drama (The Witch of Edmonton). The volume concludes with a study of one of the most influential and provocative writers of the sixteenth century, Michel de Montaigne, whose Essays provide stimulating material for a reassessment of the impact of the Renaissance on contemporary thought.This volume is the third in a series of three texts designed for the Open University course The Renaissance in Europe: A Cultural Enquiry.

The Renaissance, as both a period and a concept, continues to generate lively debate about its origins and influence on European culture and thought. Recent research has emphasized the need to look again at original texts, documents, and artifacts. Any new evaluation of the historical significance of the Renaissance requires attention to these kinds of primary evidence. This anthology responds to the impetus with an important collection of primary sources, selected to reflect the richness and wide variety of Renaissance studies.The original texts are arranged thematically, and each is introduced by a brief headnote describing the author and the source. Sections of the volume are devoted to humanism and its impact on music, philosophy, and politics; Renaissance court culture; poetry and drama in Renaissance Britain; the Reformation; and science, magic, and witchcraft. Some of the texts are short and familiar, others—such as an early sixteenth-century demonology by Italian humanist Gianfrancesco Pico della Mirandola—appear here in translation for the first time. The anthology is illustrated throughout.