Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age

By Ada Palmer

The University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 978-0-226-83797-0

The typical portrayal of Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries is that it was a great era in which everyone produced even greater art. However, this book reveals that the ‘Renaissance’ was not so great after all, as the period was marked by political turmoil, warfare, and tragedy.

Excerpt:

In 1506, Machiavelli received a letter from a friend, who had recently read the first part of his history of the decade they’d just lived through. The friend urged Machiavelli to write more. Why? Because, he said, without a good history of these days, future generations would never believe how bad it was, and would never forgive their generation for losing so much so quickly. This was the same decade in which Michelangelo carved the David and Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa, yet living through the years that laid these golden eggs felt like an apocalypse.

But isn’t the Renaissance supposed to be a golden age? And the origin of so much modernity is proud of? Individualism? The rational exploration of nature and our world? The glittering masterpieces we admire in museums? Yet, for those living through it, this famous era felt so desperate one could barely hope the future might forgive its failures—how can both be true at once?

Who is this book for?

This is not the first book to point out that the ‘Renaissance’ is an over-inflated idea. As the author notes, most medievalists are well aware of this. Still, this book provides a lively introduction to Italy at the end of the Middle Ages, written in a humorous and highly readable style. It also features mini-biographies of Machiavelli and a dozen-plus other important figures from the period.

“To embark upon Palmer’s journey is daunting. She makes it as inviting, engaging, and entertaining as possible. Her writing is chatty and fun without sacrificing academic rigor. It’s like the most brilliant person you’ve ever met has invited you over for tea to chat happily about her deepest obsession.” ~ review by Kay Daly in the Chicago Review of Books.

Also, check out this interview with the author from the University of Chicago News.

The Author

Ada Palmer is Associate Professor of Early Modern European History, where she researches the Italian Renaissance. In addtion to a strong academic background, Ada is also a novelist, having written several lauded science-fiction novels. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Bluesky.

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.

You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Friends, let’s visit the largest, most famous disability access ramp on Earth…

with a twist! About how our feelings about a bit of history can reverse completely based, not just on the historian’s POV, but what questions we ask 1/?
(Countdown to “Inventing the Renaissance” https://buff.ly/4j6qkoS

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— Ada Palmer (@adapalmer.bsky.social) January 28, 2025 at 3:35 PM