Roma Capta – the Sack of Rome (1527) and the arts of Italy

This course hinges around the Sack of Rome in 1527. This event was a social, political and artistic explosion. It redrew the map of Europe, and some would argue it marked the end of the high renaissance. This course aims to explain what happened, why, and to examine its importance to Italy, to the city of Rome, to the arts and to the artists affected.

The course tutor is co-curating the forthcoming exhibition on the Sack of Rome which will open at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome in the Spring of 2027. As a result, one focus of the course will be how one represents the themes identified above in an exhibition and the course will discuss the practicalities and challenges of curating an international exhibition of this type.

The course, like the exhibition, is divided into three sections: Before, During and After.

Rome in the early 1520s was a paradise. Arts flourished under the patronage of two Medici Popes Leo X and Clement VII. Works by Raphael and his workshop feature, but we will also look at the so-called minor arts to demonstrate the richness of the material culture of this period.

To describe the events of 6 May 1527 and the months that followed requires a deeply historical approach, and relies on maps and views of the city, drawings and prints by Maarten van Heemskerk, and a number of manuscript sources. We will also visit some of the actual locations that survive (the Villa Farnesina, Vatican Palace, Castel Sant’Angelo, Passetto del Borgo, Casa di Prospero Mochi).

The section of the course that looks at the aftermath develops two distinct themes: the gradual renewal of the arts in Rome and how the city, its people and its artists had been changed by the experience; and the artistic diaspora that followed (and as a result the stylistic revolution that this brought to the regions of Italy and the courts of Europe).

The endpoint is the triumphal entrance of Charles V to Rome in 1536.

The course places great emphasis on study from original works of art and has numerous site visits, backed up by classroom discussion. A field trip to London is also planned – this can be done as a 2 night trip for eur 150-200 return flight (book early to get these prices, e.g. Ryanair or Easyjet, Vueling or Wizz all fly this route), plus eur 45 local travel, plus accommodation and subsisdence, but there is the option to stay longer depending on your other commitments. This field trip will include visits to the Print Room in the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and to the National Gallery where we will visit a temporary exhibition on Parmigianino’s Vision of St Jerome (which the artist was working on when the Sack of Rome occurred). We will also visit the Italian Drawings Exhibition at the King’s Gallery.

Students are expected to prepare for each lesson with readings assigned in advance, thus allowing for an in-depth study and discussion of details, special aspects, and open questions.