Original French Title: Le Quattrocento
Setting: 1469 to 1519
With the Middle Ages over, Greek scholars flee Constantinople, now in Turkish hands, and move to Florence, where they help create the Renaissance. We then proceed to follow the life of Leonardo da Vinci from his days as an apprentice to Verrocchio to his final years in Paris.
Tropes:
- Black Comedy: Teigneux and Nabot's vendetta against each other involves their relatives coming up with clever ways of killing one another. And it's all Played for Laughs.
- Continuity Nod: The episode opens with an explanation that Greek scholars have fled to Italy after the fall of Constantinople.
- It also notes that 15th-century Florence has been compared to Athens during "The Age of Pericles."
- Cycle of Revenge: Renaissance!Teigneux and Renaissance!Nabot are the leaders of two clans who kill one another over what one clan did to the other.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: See Mutual Kill below.
- Dwindling Party: One by one, the members of Teigneux and Nabot's clans die at the hands of one another until both clan leaders die with no one left to fight for them.
- In the Back: Renaissance!Nabot is killed in the manner.
- Knight Templar: Savonarola has a number of artworks burned to urge the people of Florence to repent.
- "Last Supper" Steal: The Comic-Book Adaptation ends with a meal held by Maestro, with Pierre, Pierrette, Le Teigneux, and the kids as its participants.
- Mona Lisa Smile: Leonardo da Vinci has trouble painting The Mona Lisa, but with a little help from Renaissance Pierrette, that he finally gets his smile.
- Murder by Mistake: Renaissance!Nabot tries to kill Renaissance!Teigneux with a throwing knife, only for a random bystander to run into him and get stabbed in the stomach. The poor guy collapses and dies in Teigneux' arms as Teigneux Death Glares at Nabot.
- Mutual Kill: Le Teigneux and Le Nabot pull one off by pretending to be old friends. First, Nabot poisons Teigneux's drink, then Teigneux stabs Nabot In the Back.
- Not Allowed to Grow Old: Although Renaissance!Teigneux and Renaissance!Nabot's feud goes on for more than 30 years, neither of them seem to age a bit.
- Pietà Plagiarism: Le Teigneux, of all people, is the character who holds a dying person in his arms. For context, see Murder by Mistake above.
- Poison Ring: How Renaissance!Nabot finally killed Renaissance!Teigneux.
- The Renaissance
- Right on Queue: In 1478, assassins burst into Florence Cathedral to attack the Medici brothers. They succeed in killing Giuliano, but Lorenzo leads them to his house, where they have the door slammed after the third one enters. The first three are hung from the window above. Lorenzo then opens the door, asking for the next in line to enter.
- Shout-Out: The episode shows a variety of Renaissance artworks, such as Leonardo da Vinci's The Mona Lisa, Michelangelo Buonarroti's Sistine Chapel ceiling, Raphael's "The School of Athens", and Donatello's David.
- Sistine Steal: Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
- They Killed Kenny Again: Renaissance!Teigneux's drink is poisoned by Renaissance!Nabot. He even Dies Wide Open in the Comic-Book Adaptation. Le Teigneux reappears as Salai, though.
- Trapped the Wrong Target: One of the men involved in the feud ends up snaring a priest instead of one of his enemies.
- Troll: Salai.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: For the duration of the vendetta between Renaissance!Teigneux and Renaissance!Nabot, no one is fazed by the resulting casualties, not Renaissance!Pierre, not Renaissance!Jumbo, not even young Leonardo.
- Would Harm a Senior: Not only do Renaissance!Nabot and his gang start the vendetta by killing an elderly member of Renaissance!Teigneux's family, but another member of Teigneux's family throws a flowerpot on the head of an elderly member of Nabot's gang in revenge!
