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20-22 June 2017, Centre d&#8217;Etudes Sup&#233;rieures de la Renaissance (CESR)Argument&#160;The roots of the idea of the Renaissance as a time of innovation and revival of learning, wisdom and art after a long period of decline can be traced back to the thought of contemporary groups of intellectuals, artists, and cultural elites. These groups started to think of their age as a new era, distinct from the younger past, grounding this distinction on their renewed relationship with the more remote era of the ancient cultures of Rome and Greece. This image of an abrupt break with a past of gloom can be considered a myth, but its origins are nonetheless intriguing: what were these thinkers opposing themselves, at what level, with what discrepancies and inconsistencies? This cross-disciplinary international conference proposes to explore the early modern perceived reality of the continuities and the disruptions between the Renaissance and the previous period. By examining the numerous aspects and fields in which this conception of a time that had interposed itself between Antiquity and its renewal manifests, the conference hopes to better clarify the different Renaissance attitudes towards it.From a cultural standpoint, our attitude towards our predecessors reflects on how we define ourselves. This has probably never been more true than for the groups of intellectuals, artists, and cultural elites that at the cross-over of what we now see as two different historical periods started to think of their age as a new era, distinct from the younger past, grounding this distinction on their renewed relationship with the more remote era of the ancient cultures of Rome and Greece. We have inherited from them this way of thinking about our history, albeit with several modifications. Nowadays this image of an abrupt break with a past of gloom and stagnation is under strong suspicion, like a myth; and just as all myths do, it unfolded and metamorphosed over the centuries that separate us from those ancestors into whose thought can be traced back the roots of this idea of Renaissance as a time of innovation and revival of learning, wisdom and art after a long period of decline.The aim of this cross-disciplinary international symposium, to be held as the culmination of a year-long LE STUDIUM project at the CESR entitled &#8220;Middle Ages in Renaissance&#8221;, is to explore the early-modern perceived reality of the continuities and the disruptions between the two ages, in connection with but nevertheless besides their objective actuality. Examining the numerous aspects and fields in which this conception of a time that had interposed between the antiquity and its renewed admirers manifests itself, the symposium will provide an all-round view of the different renaissant perspectives towards it, thus contributing to a better comprehension of our perception of our history.List of confirmed speakersPr Johannes Bartuschat, Universit&#228;t Z&#252;rich , Romanisches Seminar &#8211; SWITZERLANDDr Giada Damen, The Morgan Library &#38; Museum - New York &#8211; USAPr Paola Degni, University of Bologna- Department of Cultural Heritage &#8211; ITALYPr Simon Gilson, University of Warwick &#8211; UKPr Bruno Laurioux, University Fran&#231;ois Rabelais of Tours &#8211; FRANCEPr Concetta Pennuto, University Fran&#231;ois Rabelais of Tours &#8211; FRANCEPr Yves Pauwels, Centre d&#8217;Etudes Sup&#233;rieures de la Renaissance (CESR) de Tours &#8211; FrancePr Pietro Roccasecca, Accademia di Belle Arti, Roma - ITALYSubmission guidelines&#160;The languages of the conference are English and French. Prospective speakers are invited to submit proposals of no more than 350 words for 30-minute papers. Topics of interest and approaches may include (but are by no means limited to):Latin language and literatureHistory and historiographyScience and technologyFine and applied artsAntiquities and archaeologyPhilosophy&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#8230;Speakers&#8217; expenses will be covered.Please send your proposal and a brief bio before 15th&#160;February 2017 to:Dr Maria Clotilde Camboni,&#160;maria.camboni@univ-tours.fr&#160;Pr Chiara Lastraioli,&#160;chiara.lastraioli@univ-tours.frScientific committeeDr Maria Clotilde Camboni, LE STUDIUM RESEARCH FELLOW, Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, Orl&#233;ans &#38; Tours, France; Centre d&#8217;Etudes Sup&#233;rieures de la Renaissance - CESR (Universit&#233; Fran&#231;ois Rabelais of Tours / CNRS), 59 rue N&#233;ricault Destouches, 37000 Tours, FrancePr Chiara Lastraioli, Professeur d&#8217;&#201;tudes Italiennes au Centre d&#8217;&#201;tudes Sup&#233;rieures de la Renaissance - CESR (Universit&#233; Fran&#231;ois Rabelais of Tours / CNRS), 59 rue N&#233;ricault Destouches, 37000 Tours, France; MSH (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Val de Loire - USR 3501, directrice)&#160;Dr Aur&#233;lien Montagu, Scientific Relations Manager, LE STUDIUM Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 1 Rue Dupanloup - 45000 Orl&#233;ans - FRANCE