John Addington SymondsVerified

Symonds illuminates the writers and thinkers who rekindled human possibility during the Renaissance, tracing how Italian literature broke free from medieval constraint and invented the modern self.

Volume four of a seven-volume history of the Renaissance in Italy, devoted to Italian literature. It divides the subject into three periods: its formation, the influence of humanist studies, and the revival of the vernacular, set against Italy's political background.

The first of seven volumes on the Italian Renaissance, subtitled The Age of the Despots. It looks at the cultural and intellectual change of the period, including the growth of art and learning and the political complexities behind them.

A collection of late 19th-century travel essays on Italy and Greece. It opens with the author's arrival in Switzerland and his reflections on the Alps, comparing the ancient disdain for mountains with the modern love of nature.

The third of seven volumes of a late 19th-century history of the Italian Renaissance, devoted to the fine arts. It covers painting, sculpture and architecture, and the shift from medieval traditions toward the influence of antiquity within Renaissance culture.

Volumes 6 and 7 of a history of the Italian Renaissance, devoted to the Catholic Reaction. They examine how the Counter-Reformation, together with Spanish influence, brought an end to the culture and independence Italy had enjoyed.