This course will trace the architectural development of palaces in France from the Renaissance up to the French Revolution. Major highlights include the Chateau of Chambord and the Palace of Versailles, and how royal power was communicated through these structures.

Instructor: Robin L. Thomas is a professor of art history and architecture as well as head of the Department of Art History at Penn State. He specializes in European architecture and urbanism from 1400 to 1800. Focusing on the architecture of Naples, his interests include early-modern urbanism, the social history of buildings, music and space, and the intellectual formation of the architect. His most recent book, Palaces of Reason: the Royal Residences of Enlightenment Naples, was published by Penn State Press in 2023.