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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Chapter 2, by the time Michelangelo was an old man, who could afford to commission a work from him?

2. According to Chapter 1, if you are lost in Florence, whom should you ask for directions?

3. Who broke the Florentine custom of honoring the public far above the individual?

4. As mentioned in Chapter 3, what does the surname "Bevisangue" mean?

5. Which of George Eliot's novels is, according to McCarthy, a "sentimental pastiche of Florentine history"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author describe Florence as a "manly town" in Chapter 1?

2. Describe the statue of Neptune in the fountain of the Piazza della Signoria.

3. Describe the "'characteristic' Florentine street."

4. How did the Medici tombs appear in the public consciousness of Florence in the twentieth century?

5. Describe the architectural difference between Guelph and Ghibelline cities.

6. What is the typical behavior of Florentines towards tourists in restaurants?

7. Explain the word "harangue" and its presence in the lives of the Florentine people.

8. Describe the medieval nobility's behavior in medieval Florence, as discussed in Chapter 3.

9. Describe the weather in Florence in summer.

10. Describe Michelangelo's personality.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore Michelangelo's relationship with the popes as a case study of Florentine culture.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the causes and effects of the defeat of the Republic.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Florence as the birthplace of the Renaissance, citing examples and offering explanations wherever possible. Then, offer your thoughts on whether the author's assertion that visitors to Florence implicitly blame the city for bringing about the knowledge that led to World War II.

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