Five gems of Northern Italy: Ravenna, Ferrara, Parma, Mantua and Sabbionetta

Northern Italy is home to remarkable cities of culture, each with distinctive artistic and architectural traditions. In this course we examine five of these centres, understanding their history and government and highlighting important artists, artworks and buildings. We begin with the Early Christian and Byzantine centre of Ravenna, before moving on to Ferrara, ruled by the Este family; the much-contested city of Parma; and the Gonzaga cities of Mantua, home to the artist Mantegna; and finally, the ideal city of Sabbionetta, founded and constructed in the late 16th century.