Italy and the Liberal Arts Tradition

The Pantheon, in Rome

By Robert E Proctor, Joanne Toor Cummings Professor of Italian, Founding Director of the Toor-Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts. Professor Proctor is writing a book on the Roman origins of the liberal arts tradition.

Because of its rich tradition, Italy has played a relevant role in shaping Western culture over the centuries to the extent which the contemporary American architect Charles Moore stated, "Going to Italy is like going home."

In the present day, according to UNESCO Italy has the largest number of world heritage sites in the entire world.

The Italian Renaissance, for example, had a great impact over our modern world. It culminated in the work of Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, in the science of Galileo, in the international economics of the Medici bank, and in Machiavelli's creation of an autonomous political "science."

For centuries, artists, writers, musicians and other travelers have found in Italy a unique combination of sensuality and spirituality. Goethe, the greatest writer of the German language, wrote in his Italian Journal that he finally found peace in his soul when he arrived in Rome.

Because of the very high quality of the work produced by its artists, writers, and thinkers, plus the beauty of its countryside and its agreeable lifestyle, Italy offers students a source of intellectual and artistic nourishment for the rest of their lives. The liberal arts tradition, which stresses broad lifelong learning for personal happiness and public service, began in Italy.