Recreation In The Renaissance

In Renaissance Europe, when 'leisure classes' used social gathering to define civility and the commercialization of leisure was beginning, the human need for recreation became a cultural topos. The book explores the vocabulary of play and games; the spectrum of leisure activities, often gender-specific or appropriate to particular social groups; the medical discourse on the preservation of health, where amusements were assessed as physical exercise; the moral approach to play; legal treatises on gambling; and the visual representation of leisure.

Thus, leisure existed and mattered well before the Industrial Revolution: its theory and practice significantly shaped an epoch and its self-image."--BOOK JACKET.

'Leisure and Recreation Management' is essential reading for anyone interested in exploring both the theory and the practicalities of managing leisure and recreational facilities.

Renaissance Fun is about the technology of Renaissance entertainments in stage machinery and theatrical special effects; in gardens and fountains; and in the automata and self-playing musical instruments that were installed in garden grottoes. How did the machines behind these shows work? How exactly were chariots filled with singers let down onto the stage? How were flaming dragons made to fly across the sky? How were seas created on stage? How did mechanical birds imitate real birdsong? What was ‘artificial music’, three centuries before Edison and the phonograph? How could pipe organs be driven and made to play themselves by waterpower alone? And who were the architects, engineers, and craftsmen who created these wonders? All these questions are answered. At the end of the book we visit the lost ‘garden of marvels’ at Pratolino with its many grottoes, automata and water jokes; and we attend the performance of Mercury and Mars in Parma in 1628, with its spectacular stage effects and its music by Claudio Monteverdi – one of the places where opera was born. Renaissance Fun is offered as an entertainment in itself. But behind the show is a more serious scholarly argument, centred on the enormous influence of two ancient writers on these subjects, Vitruvius and Hero. Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture were widely studied by Renaissance theatre designers. Hero of Alexandria wrote the Pneumatics, a collection of designs for surprising and entertaining devices that were the models for sixteenth and seventeenth century automata. A second book by Hero On Automata-Making – much less well known, then and now – describes two miniature theatres that presented plays without human intervention. One of these, it is argued, provided the model for the type of proscenium theatre introduced from the mid-sixteenth century, the generic design which is still built today. As the influence of Vitruvius waned, the influence of Hero grew.

The Renaissance was a period of extraordinary spirit and development that marked a critical stage in the history of sports and games. In Europe the development of a moneyed economy and more refined methods of timekeeping ushered in a new era of leisure and leisure-activity, in which the old tradition of the Shrove Tuesday Football match deepened in the cultural consciousness. In Asia, Sumo's gradual codification began to develop alongside ancestors of the modern game of hackey-sack. In North and South America, European explorers saw how traditional team sports and games such as lacrosse and pelota could serve as an integrating and uniting phenomenon. Series editor Andrew Leibs provides narrative chapters on Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Oceania, each of which shows how modern-day form of recreation evolved during the Renaissance. In addition, readers will learn how to play games that had been previously lost to history. This volume is the latest installment in the Sports and Games Through History series. Each geographically arranged chapter describes sports, games, and rituals of play, along with descriptions on equipment and instructions for making or adapting game pieces.

This book studies attitudes toward secular literature during the later Middle Ages. Exploring two related medieval justifications of literary pleasure—one finding hygienic or therapeutic value in entertainment, and another stressing the psychological and ethical rewards of taking time out from work in order to refresh oneself—Glending Olson reveals that, contrary to much recent opinion, many medieval writers and thinkers accepted delight and enjoyment as valid goals of literature without always demanding moral profit as well. Drawing on a vast amount of primary material, including contemporary medical manuscripts and printed texts, Olson discusses theatrics, humanist literary criticism, prologues to romances and fabliaux, and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. He offers an extended examination of the framing story of Boccaccio's Decameron. Although intended principally as a contribution to the history of medieval literary theory and criticism, Literature as Recreation in the Later Middle Ages makes use of medical, psychological, and sociological insights that lead to a fuller understanding of late medieval secular culture.

Introduction to Recreation and Leisure, Fourth Edition With HKPropel Access, presents a comprehensive view of the multifaceted, expansive field of recreation and leisure. This full-color text grounds students in the historical, philosophical, and social aspects of the industry. Community parks and recreation departments, nonprofit organizations, and commercial recreation and ecotourism enterprises are thoroughly explored. Students learn about various enriching educational programs and services for people of all ages. The contributing authors are more than 40 professors and professionals from across the globe—including the United States, Canada, Europe, Brazil, China, and Nigeria—who offer international perspectives on the recreation and leisure industries. The text illustrates the wide breadth of opportunities within this diverse profession and explores current issues in the world that have an impact on the field. The fourth edition offers the following new features: Related online learning materials delivered through HKPropel that offer opportunities to engage with and better understand the content Content that reflects the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed recreation and leisure experiences Updated content on environmental sustainability, health and wellness, social equity, and quality of life An expanded look at esports The book is organized into three parts. Part I provides the foundation of the industry, including an introduction, history, and philosophical concepts. Part II introduces various sectors and areas of the field. Part III presents the different types of programming found in recreation and leisure services. These interest areas include sport management; esports; health, wellness, and quality of life; outdoor and adventure recreation; and culture and the arts. Each chapter includes learning objectives that display the chapter’s important concepts. Also included in each chapter is an Outstanding Graduates sidebar that highlights a former student who has gone on to a successful career in the field, sharing insights and advice for those just starting out. A glossary is provided at the end of the text. Related online learning materials within HKPropel include chapter overviews, flash cards, On the Job learning activities, research prompts, and links to websites to explore. Chapter quizzes, which are automatically graded, may also be assigned to test comprehension of critical concepts. Introduction to Recreation and Leisure prepares students for success in the field. With insights and perspectives from top professionals and professors from around the globe, the text presents foundational concepts, delivery systems, and programming services that can spur future professionals to make a positive impact on society through recreation and leisure. Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is not included with this ebook but may be purchased separately.

Renaissance poetry anthologies were crafted within the book trade and re-crafted through performance, transforming Early Modern cultures of recreation.