Renaissance

The Seven Senses of Italy

A honeymoon though Italy filled with love and adventure where all the senses are awakened. Part love story, part travelogue, The Seven Senses of Italy follows American newlyweds Bobby and Lisa as they breathe in the sights, sounds, aromas, tastes, and textures of Italy. Unknowingly guided by Lisa’s late grandmother—her nonna—who exemplifies […]

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Admiral Andrea Doria

His homeland invaded from all sides, 16th century admiral Andrea Doria defies mighty kingdoms and leads his people to defend their hard-won independence and freedom. Ever since Andrea Doria was a boy, the azure waters off Genoa’s coast had beckoned. But times were as turbulent as the sea. The divided […]

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Niccolò Machiavelli

Imprisoned, tortured, and forced into exile, he fought to clear his name. Instead, it would be misunderstood forever. Born into a modest family in fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli navigated his way through the violence and political uncertainty of Renaissance Italy. Recognized for his keen mind and understanding of human nature […]

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Luca Pacioli

Luca Pacioli stood beside the great Leonardo da Vinci and gazed at The Last Supper. He saw immediately that something was terribly wrong. An orphan from a small town in Italy, Pacioli came of age during the Renaissance seemingly destined for a life of struggle and obscurity. But Pacioli had […]

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Leonardo da Vinci

More than a painter. Renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci was the greatest genius to ever conquer the worlds of art, science, and philosophy. Writing backwards to protect his knowledge, da Vinci epitomized creativity and eccentricity. Despite being plagued with frustrations and failures, da Vinci was spurred to create, invent, research, […]

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John Cabot

A determined man with a dream whose mentors and friendships supported him through his difficult life’s journey. John Cabot was born Giovanni Caboto in Genoa, Italy. As a child, he dreamed of captaining a ship across a mysterious, uncharted ocean, from Europe to the riches of China. There was another […]

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Galileo Galilei

From hero to heretic, would he live to see honor again? Enchanted by the labyrinth of stars above, Italian professor Galileo Galilei was determined to unearth the mysteries held within. It was 1609 and inspired by the newly invented “perspective glass,” which magnified objects on land up to three times […]

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Filippo Brunelleschi

Sometimes your greatest accomplishment comes after your greatest disappointment. One of the founding fathers of the Renaissance, Filippo Brunelleschi was more than an Italian designer.  Brunelleschi made his mark in architecture and construction. In his early years, sculpting was Brunelleschi’s passion.  But after being passed over for a major commission, […]

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Father Matteo Ricci

The Forbidden City—home to the opium-addicted Ming Dynasty emperor and protected by thousands of ruthless eunuchs—no European had ever been inside. Would a simple Jesuit priest be the first? Armed with a homemade clock, a wealth of patience, and an uncompromising drive to share his faith with a new people, […]

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Christopher Columbus

Discovering a new continent, he changed the map of the earth and the course of civilization. Few men in history have changed the world as Christopher Columbus did when he sailed into the perilous and vast Atlantic Ocean. While seeking the island of Cipango and the mainland of Cathay, Columbus discovered […]

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