Plague and Pleasure - Renaissance Escapism in the Life of Pope Pius II (Paperback)

Plague and Pleasure is a lively popular history that introduces a new hypothesis about the impetus behind the cultural change in Renaissance Italy. The Renaissance coincided with a period of chronic, constantly recurring plague, unremitting warfare and pervasive insecurity. Consequently, people felt a need for mental escape to alternative, idealized realities, distant in time or space from the unendurable present but made vivid to the imagination through literature, art, and spectacle. Pope Pius II experienced both plague and war during his reign and he exhibited many escapist behaviors typical of his period: the building of his "Shangri-La" at Pienza, his constant sight-seeing travels, his passion for natural scenery or Roman remains, his public spectacles, andthe humanism that immersed him in an idealized Roman past. This see-saw mentality of the period could plunge into melancholy when facing harsh realities and then propel them into ecstasies of makebelieve to counter their dispair. Plague and Pleasure uses the life and times of Pope Pius II as the framework for presenting a view of the Renaissance that the public can understand and appreciate and which may at least narrow the gap between the past known to scholars and that known to the public they ultimately serve.

General

Imprint:	The Catholic University of America Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	November 2014
Authors:	Arthur White
Foreword by:	Michael Lewis
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 26mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	277
ISBN-13:	978-0-8132-2681-1
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Christianity > Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church Promotions
LSN:	0-8132-2681-3
Barcode:	9780813226811

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