Padua’s Scrovegni Chapel is a magnificent act of attrition, erected in 1305 to atone for usury. Giotto, the greatest painter of the age, cloaked it in frescoes of the lives of Mary and Christ. Its grandeur heralds the beginning of the Renaissance.

This lecture is part of the 2009–10 Art History Lecture Series with Rebecca Albiani. Visit the Art History page for full series and ticket information.