Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe

The word renaissance means "rebirth," and the most obvious example of this phenomenon was the regeneration of Europe's classical Roman roots. The Renaissance began in northern Italy in the late 14th century and culminated in England in the early 17th century. Emphasis on the dignity of man (though not of woman) and on human potential distinguished the Renaissance from the previous Middle Ages. In poetry and literature, individual thought and action were prevalent, while depictions of the human form became a touchstone of Renaissance art. In science and medicine the macrocosm and microcosm of the human condition inspired remarkable strides in research and discovery, and the Earth itself was explored, situating Europeans within a wider realm of possibilities. Organized thematically, the Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe covers all aspects of life in Renaissance Europe: History; religion; art and visual culture; architecture; literature and language; music; warfare; commerce; exploration and travel; science and medicine; education; daily life.

Sandra Sider holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature, specializing in Renaissance studies, in addition to an M.A. in art history. She has taught Renaissance art history at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, in New York City. Her publications include several books and numerous articles pertaining to Renaissance history and visual culture including Bibliography of Emblematic Manuscripts (with Barbara Obrist) published by McGill-Queen's University Press, 1992, Maps, Charts, Globes: Five Centuries of Exploration published by the Hispanic Society of America, and "Getting past 1492: the Renaissance in recent Portuguese and Spanish publications," An article Renaissance Quarterly online.