The Reaissance Why Italy? Why Then?

Renaissance Defined Great intellectual and cultural movement interested in classical culture that occurred in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Italy Transition from the middle ages to modern times Artists and thinkers blended what they received with medieval traditions and then added new knowledge By 1500 spread to much of Europe from Spain and England to Hungary and Poland, missing Russia and the Turkish Empire

Role of the Crusades in the Rediscovery of Ancient Texts Was bloody and violent; had a significant impact on western intellectual development Latin kingdoms were established in Eastern Mediterranean – resulted in the discovery and translation of classical works lost to western scholarship; been undisturbed for nearly 2,000 years

Petrarch & the Birth of Humanism 1st poet of the Renaissance, poems were written in Latin but is most renowned for his poetry in Italian As a humanist and a writer, he influenced the spread of humanism Humanist ideas held that the church should not rule civic matters, but should guide only spiritual matters

They returned to the works of ancient writers; learned to read Greek and ancient Latin During the middle ages, scholars had been guided by the teachings of the church and people had concerned themselves with actions leading to heavenly rewards The great works of the past inspired scientific discoveries, inventions, and new artistic styles

Trade and the Rise of the Italian Middle Class Geography gave Italy an advantage over northern Europe – strategically located between the majority of Europe and Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire (or Byzantium) was the Eastern Roman Empire that existed throughout Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Known simply as the Roman Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων, Basileia Rhōmaiōn)[2] or Romania (Ῥωμανία, Rhōmanía) by its inhabitants and neighbors, the empire was centered on the capital of Constantinople and was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State.[3] Byzantium, however, was distinct from ancient Rome, in that it was Christian and predominantly Greek-speaking, being influenced by Greek, as opposed to Latin, culture.[4]

Potential for amassing wealth and breaking free from the feudal system Italian cities had no choice but to participate in international trade and the market economy and integrate the activities of commerce into daily life As fortunes of merchants, bankers and trades people improved, they began to have more than enough money to meet their basic needs for food, clothing and shelter

Desire for larger luxurious homes, fine art, extravagant clothing to show off their wealth Had time to spend on education and entertainment Education was essential for many middle-class professionals Leisure time – men and women enjoyed such pastimes as reading for pleasure, learning to play musical instruments and studying a variety of topics unrelated to their businesses

Italian City States In the 1400s Italy was made up of several city-states City state was an urban centre such as Milan nor Venice or Florence (the most powerful – was the cultural and economic centre of the Renaissance Many Italian coastal cities became centres for trade and commerce Able to develop into sovereign territorial states because Italy like Germany, possessed no powerful central monarch such as those that emerged in France and England – many were ruled by a single family

The Medici Family rules Florence and Europe’s largest bank; Pope controls city-states in central Italy The rulers of Italian city-states grew wealthy from banking and trade – the Medicis and other ruling families hired artists to paint their portraits and design new public buildings

Civic Pride and Civic Humanism Humanists regarded themselves as active citizens of their city states and immersed themselves in the material affairs of their urban settings An educated elite, they believed they had responsibilities to their fellow citizens Spirit of civic humanism was one of the outstanding characteristics of the Renaissance Contrary to the ‘natural law’ tradition, the laws are ‘man made’, not divinely ordained or ingrained in nature

The Printing Press 1450 Gutenberg’s printing press allows books to be made quickly Improvements to the printing press helped the Renaissance spread With books more widely available, scholars across Europe learned of new ideas