Art historian Sophia D’Addio surveys the cradle of the Renaissance, Tuscany, which boasted Florence's unparalleled artistic wealth alongside Siena, Pisa, and Lucca’s cultural treasures. Renowned for its simple yet flavorful cuisine and its prized wines, the region blends medieval charm, coastal beauty, and enduring culinary and viticultural traditions into Italy’s cultural heart. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
A quirky 18th-century international dispute over natural history quickly took on political overtones. Thomas Jefferson wanted to refute a French naturalist’s theory that all life in America was degenerate and weak, so he asked that a large dead moose be shipped to France. The theory, however, continued to have scientific, economic, and political implications for 100 years. Evolutionary biologist Lee Alan Dugatkin highlights this fascinating tale.
In October 1964, a campaign train dubbed the Lady Bird Special left Washington, D.C., bound for New Orleans. Lady Bird Johnson’s mission: to aid her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, in territory roiling with animosity after his recent signing of the Civil Rights Act. Her train made 47 stops in eight states over four days. Historian Shannon McKenna Schmidt chronicles that journey into the Southern politics of the day.
Contrary to his public persona as a purported scoundrel Frank Lloyd Wright was entrusted with commissions of more than a dozen churches and spiritual spaces for a wide range of religious groups, including Jewish, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Unitarian, and other communities. Wright expert Timothy Totten illustrates the architect’s' beliefs about the way worshippers should interact with each other and their faith, as well as the ways he differentiated each space for its specific congregation.
During the late 1800s, Washington heiresses, industrial magnates, newspaper tycoons, and political elites built opulent mansions along Massachusetts Avenue in styles such as Neoclassical, Beaux Arts, and Queen Anne. However, their lavish lifestyle collapsed during the Great Depression, after which many of these magnificent mansions were sold and converted into embassies, social clubs, and offices. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, leads a walk through the neighborhood as she provides views of some of these grand homes.
Raphael, one of the High Renaissance’s great masters alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo, rose from Perugino’s apprentice in Urbino to the favored artist of popes and princes. In just two decades, he synthesized influences into serene compositions and ideal beauty, leaving a legacy of harmony and grace before his death at 37. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo explores his extraordinary ascent—from early apprenticeships under Perugino to encounters with Michelangelo and Leonardo in Florence, and finally to his crowning achievements in Rome. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In 350 C.E., Britannia thrived as a Roman province with a strong economy, flourishing cities, and imperial culture. Yet by 450, its urban centers lay in ruins, its Romanized economy collapsed, and political life fragmented under emerging English influence. How this once-prosperous province came to tumble out of the Roman Empire has long resisted easy answers. Historian Samuel Collins surveys what is known now and the innovative ways in which new light is being shed on old problems in the fall of Roman Britain.
On July 29, 1878, a total solar eclipse swept the American West, inspiring a race to the Rockies to unlock scientific mysteries. Author and science journalist David Baron shares the story of three eclipse chasers—asteroid hunter James Craig Watson, trailblazing astronomer Maria Mitchell, and young Thomas Edison—to illustrate this saga of ambition, discovery, and a nation’s quest for scientific glory during the Gilded Age.
