Introduction: the Dislocation of the Human

The animal in Renaissance Italy

“…4 However, since the publication of Keith Thomas's seminal Man and the Natural World: Changing Attitudes in England 1500-1800 (1983), there have appeared a number of valuable edited collections addressing the early modern period, 5 along with work in English literature, 6 and studies on the history of ideas and science. 7 Surprisingly, the production of literature on the animal turn in the context of the Italian Renaissance has so far remained relatively limited with the publication of studies on animals in art history, 8 on beasts from specific continents or cities, 9 and on animals in the domestic sphere. 10 The best work on animals in the Renaissance draws from, and speaks to, both the fields of Renaissance studies and animal studies, and the endeavour to write animals back into historical experience has been accompanied by a number of important debates with broader historical and cultural resonances.…”