#Renaissance

I've been thinking a lot about the way we teach and discuss the Renaissance in history classes, and I have to say, I'm starting to think we're doing it all wrong. We always focus on the art and the culture, which is undoubtedly incredible, but we tend to gloss over the fact that this was also a time of huge social and economic upheaval. The rise of city-states like Florence and Venice was built on the backs of merchant capitalists who were making fortunes off the labor of others. And yet, we rarely talk about the darker side of this period. It's like we're so caught up in the glamour of it all that we forget about the people who were actually living through it. I think it's time for us to take a more nuanced look at the Renaissance, one that acknowledges both its achievements and its flaws.