La civiltà del secolo del Rinascimento in Italia, Volume II

The work surveys how Italian society during the Renaissance turned outward and inward, tracing maritime exploration and the expansion of cosmographical knowledge alongside a growing empirical interest in natural history. It assesses Italian participation in voyages, the unique blend of classical learning and practical observation that shaped geography and discovery, and profiles the era's shifting relations between humanism, church authority, and scientific inquiry. Chapters examine developments in botany, zoology, gardens and menageries, and literary figures whose observational habit informed natural studies. The narrative links intellectual trends to social institutions and cultural practices that fostered both exploration and the systematic study of nature.