The Italian Renaissance Florence, Venice, the Medicis!

Florence as a city- state Florence was located on the Arno River By 1338, Florence was one of the four biggest cities in Europe Had already been a trade route for centuries As trade increased during the renaissance, Florence flourished!

Florence became a center for successful bankers, silk and wool merchants The wealthy bankers supported the Pope in Rome and in return, the Pope gave all the financial business of the papacy to these bankers. Florence became so rich, they bought up surrounding cities, expanding their power and control Through banking and business dealings, Florentines, met new people from other societies and cultures. They were exposed to new ideas and knowledge.

Social System Florence was based on a class system However The merchant class got wealthier and were able to move up the class ladder. The merchants organized into guilds Wool finishers Silk merchants Bankers Guilds were like modern day unions

The Medici Family Mad Monarchists

Culture The Medici family became leaders of Florence They supported artists (Patron of the arts), architects, and scholars. Because of this, Florence became a major center of Renaissance culture.

Medici Family-Uncrowned monarchs Very powerful influence for 3 hundred years! (Mid 1400s - mid 1700s) They controlled the government They paid for some of the most beautiful and innovative churches, buildings and monuments in Florence Employed and supported painters, sculptors, architects They held social events to discuss ideas and art Cosimo de Medici “Father of his Country” was a diplomat, Got his wealth and power from banking. He negotiated peace between Florence, Venice, Milan, Rome and Naples The end of the Medicis came when French armies invaded Italy

Interesting Facts about the Medici Family Although the names were later changed, Galileo initially named four of the moons of Jupiter he discovered after children of the Medici family. The Medici Family produced four popes in total including Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo XI. The Medici Family is sometimes called the Godfathers of the Renaissance. In 1478 Giuliano Medici was assassinated by the Pazzi family in front of 10,000 people at the Easter church service. Ferdinando de Medici was a patron of music. He helped to fund the invention of the piano.

1) Michelangelo's David 2) Botticelli's Birth of Venus 3) Botticelli's Allegory of Spring 4) Giotto's Maestà 5) Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation 6) Brunelleschi's Dome 7) Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" 8) Donatello's David 9) Masaccio's Trinità 10) Fra Angelico's San Marco frescoes

Venice

3 social classes Upper Class Aristocracy (Born to nobles) Voted for government Had control of Venice since tribal times Cittadini Originarii The originals! (Original citizens) Could not vote Commoners Had some rights as a citizen

Marco Polo Famous for writing about his adventures with his father who was a trader They travelled to China and back along the silk road This journey took 17 years! Can you IMAGINE?! When they returned, people were fascinated by his tales of a foreign land and when he wrote them in a book, it was read with great excitement by Europeans.

Venice Government Scuole Republic Head of government was called the Doge A group of wealthy noblemen of the aristocracy ruled that only their families could vote for the Doge These families were only 2% of the population Many original citizens were merchants and were able to buy their place in aristocracy Implemented by Venetian citizens Associations that met for prayer sessions, collected money for good causes and held mass for members who were sick or dying Lived in fear of the afterlife Doing good deeds made them feel like there would be less punishment Became the social support systems we have in Canada for example (EI, $ for elderly and sick, widows and orphans)

Venice Gains Importance It had a stable government The most successful in sea trade than any other city-state (strong shipyard, naval base and armory) New merchant class supported the arts, artists flocked to the city Became the center of European book trade First Italian city-state to use the mechanical printing press Had a famous university that promoted the study of science, medicine and law

How would this have affected the people’s worldviews? Genoa A walled city How would this have affected the people’s worldviews?

Italy’s main commercial port city today The wall protected the city’s inhabitants from invaders A city of two faces: One towards the sea and one towards the mountains Was also a major trade city before the Renaissance With the beginning of the first crusade in the Middle Ages, crusaders came from England, France and other Western areas into Genoa The Genovese fleets assisted the crusaders by transporting these crusaders in the Holy Land Genoans were paid well for this and granted important trading privileges

Genoa Navy gains control of Constantinople, the largest city in Europe at the time and so also gained control of trade in the Black Sea. (Its like a game) Things they exported: Wine, olive oil, wool Things they imported: Furs, spices, corn, Persian goods Wealthy families saw the opportunity to found a powerful bank to finance trade and the navy Genoa was also a republic, controlled by powerful families

Genoa’s decline In 1463, Genoa lost Constantinople to the Turkish Empire Milan and later, France took control of Genoa Many Genovese families managed to hold on to their wealth and independence Andrea Doria, a navy commander, revived the power of Genoa in 1528 when the Renaissance really got to flourish with families paying for the art and architecture that the other cities had. Known for Frescoes: water colour painting done on a wall or ceiling

The Sistine Chapel ~Michelangelo

What did the three Italian City-States have in common that led to the flourishing Renaissance movement? Good location, Republic governments, families that cared about the arts and knowledge, focus on banking and trade, open-minded

Good location, (sea ports, land routes) Small size, easy to protect Republic governments, Rich families that cared about the arts and knowledge, focus on banking and trade, open-minded Valued Education