I could tell the TA was really smart, but there was clearly a disconnect between the way the quiz questions were given and the way they were graded. Dr Fiorani gave pretty open ended prompts but the answers were graded in an oddly stringent manner. I can appreciate a challenging course, but it was mostly just confusing when it came to grading. The lectures were very good, however, and I learned a lot.

I really enjoyed this class. Prof. Fiorani is super sweet, approachable, and by far one of the most intelligent professors I have had at UVA so far. I thought that the course content was always interesting because it explored so many facets of da Vinci's life I didn't even realize existed. As for work, there were about two readings per class and a weekly discussion post. There was a written midterm, a paper, and a final exhibition. I thought that grading could be a little harsh at times, but for the most part it was fair.

This was a great class!!! Francesca Fiorani is an incredible speaker and just the sweetest person, but she is also one of the leading Leonardo da Vinci experts/scholars in the world. She is quoted in the class text a few times, and you read a few articles she wrote. She also shares amazing anecdotes about her direct involvement in preserving Leonardo's legacy, such as when she was invited to the Louvre for the annual cleaning and examination of the Mona Lisa!!! The midterm was pretty easy if you had been to class, the paper was ok because it was a response to a few articles, and the final project was making your own Leonardo exhibition which was fun. Overall it's an interesting class that isn't too much work, but most importantly it's an opportunity to hear from an incredibly distinguished professor.

Rarely does one take a class with a professor who is so learned in his/her field. Fiorani is a wonderful professor and the subject could not be more interesting. Who would not want to learn about the quintessential renaissance man?

Loved this class! Fiorani is wonderful. Other reviews have said her accent can confuse her lectures -- not really. We had midterm/7 page paper/final, pretty standard for an art history class. take it!

Learning about Leonardo da Vinci is really interesting and Fiorani clearly cares alot. However her heavy accent and lack of a structured lecture makes this class a little boring and makes the work sometimes unnecessarily complicated.

You will not find a more passionate and knowledgeable professor on Leonardo anywhere. The class is incredibly interested as his paintings, drawings, writings, and even psychology are discussed in the course. Take it.