- The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy by Jacob Burckhardt Table of Contents Part One: The State as a Work of Art Introduction Despots of the Fourteenth Century Despots of the Fifteenth Century The Smaller Despotisms The Greater Dynasties The Opponents of the Despots The Republics: Venice and Florence Foreign Policy War as a Work of Art The Papacy Patriotism Part Two: The Development of ...www.idbsu.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/burckhardt.html