I have just watched Renaissance Unchained on BBC4 presented by the always fabulous Waldemar Januszczak. The programme was extremely well written and turns the linear Italian Renaissance that I was taught at university on its head. Catch it on iPlayer if you missed it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b070sq9t/the-renaissance-unchained-1-gods-myths-and-oil-paints
