Reader's Ink discussion

8) Does reading this book make you want to further explore any aspects of the Italian Renaissance, the characters or plotlines Robin Maxwell has written about?

The Italian Renaissance was the earliest manifestation of the general Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement that began in Italy during the 14th century and lasted until the 16th century, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. The term Renaissance is in essence a modern one that came into currency in the 19th century. Although the origins of a movement that was confined largely to the literate culture of intellectual endeavor and patronage can be traced to the earlier part of the 14th century, many aspects of Italian culture and society remained largely Medieval; the Renaissance did not come into full swing until the end of the century. The word renaissance means "rebirth" in French, and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity after the period that Renaissance humanists labeled the Dark Ages. These changes, while significant, were concentrated in the elite, and for the vast majority of the population life was little changed from the Middle Ages.

It has inspire me to learn more about the art, the culture, music, the science of that time; especially Lorenzo de Medici's Plationic Academy of Florence. I'll probably read some more books of this time period (fiction and nonfiction) such as:

The Da Vinci Code
The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ
Leonardo's Swans
The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall
The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Creation of Eve
The Madonna of the Almonds
I, Mona Lisa etc....