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THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION (tm) Ver. 4.85: The Renaissance Durant, Will---------------------------------------------------------THE STORY OF CIVILIZATIONVOLUME FIVETHE RENAISSANCE1953A History of Civilization in Italy from 1304-1576 A.D.by Will DurantCopyright (C) 1953 by Will DurantCopyright renewed (C) 1981Exclusive electronic rights granted to World Library, Inc.by The Ethel B. Durant Trust, William James Durant Easton,and Monica Ariel Mihell.Electronically Enhanced Text (c) Copyright 1994 World Library, Inc.DEDICATION-TO MY WIFEWho has shared in a hundred ways in writing this bookTO THE READER-THIS volume, while complete and independent in itself, forms PartV in a history of civilization written on the "integral method" of uniting in one narrative all phases of human activity. The seriesbegan in 1935 with Our Oriental Heritage *05000 a history of Egyptand the Near and Middle East to 323 B.C., and of India, China, andJapan to 1930. Part II, The Life of Greece (1939), recorded Greek
 
history and culture from the beginnings, and the history of the Nearand Middle East from 323 B.C., to the Roman Conquest in 146 B.C.Part III, Caesar and Christ (1944), carried the story of whitecivilization to A.D. 325, centered around the rise and fall of Rome,and the first centuries of Christianity. Part IV, The Age of Faith(1950), continued the narrative to 1300, including Byzantinecivilization, Islam, Judaism, and Latin Christendom.The present work aims to give a rounded picture of all phases of human life in the Italy of the Renaissance- from the birth of Petrarchin 1304 to the death of Titian in 1576. The term "Renaissance" will inthis book refer only to Italy. The word does not properly apply tosuch native maturations, rather than exotic rebirths, as took place inFrance, Spain, England, and the Lowlands in the sixteenth andseventeenth centuries; and even in Italy the designation lays unduestress on that revival of classic letters which was of less importanceto Italy than the ripening of its economy and culture into their owncharacteristic forms.In order to avoid a superficial repetition of the excellent booksalready in print on this subject, the scale of treatment has beenenlarged as compared with the previous volumes in the series.Moreover, as we approach our own epoch our interests are more widelyengaged; we still feel in our blood the sap of those effervescentcenturies in which modern Europe began; and their ideas, events, andpersonalities are especially vital to an understanding of our ownminds and times.I have studied at first hand nearly all the works of art mentionedin this book, but I lack the technical training that would give me theright to express any critical judgments. I have ventured, however,to voice my impressions and preferences. Modern art is absorbed in aforgivable reaction against the Renaissance, and is zealouslyexperimenting to find new forms of beauty or significance. Ourappreciation of the Renaissance should not deter us from welcomingevery sincere and disciplined attempt to imitate not its productsbut its originality.If circumstances permit, a sixth volume, probably under the title of The Age of the Reformation, will appear three or four years hence,covering the history of Christian, Islamic, and Judaic civilization
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