The Italian City-States and the New Monarchs

The Italian City-States and the New Moncarchs Why did the Renaissance begin in northern Italy? “Geography is destiny!”

The Italian City-States and the New Moncarchs Why did the Renaissance begin in northern Italy? Northern Italian cities witnessed the birth of the commercial revolution: Trade/money lending Banking Capitalism

Social Structure of Italian City-States Grandi Land holding nobles Popolo grasso Professionals and guild leaders

Social Structure of Italian City-States Middle Burgher Guild craftsmen Popolo minuto Lower classes excluded from guilds, civic participation

Political development of City-States 12th century Communes: Larger cities won independence from local lords Became self governing communes of free men Run by guilds

Political development of City-States Oligarchy: Grandi (local nobles) and popolo grassi (wealthy merchant families) combined to create new ruling class Set up property requirements for citizenship Excluded popolo minuto

Political development of City-States Republics: Popolo minuto rebelled, grabbed power in some cities Oligarches hired condottieri to regain political control Signori: Rule by one man

Five Major Italian Renaissance Powers Republics Venice Florence Medici banking family Principality of Milan After Visconti, ruled by the Sforza condottieri

Five Major Italian Renaissance Powers Papal States Temporal power in the hands of the popes Kingdom of Naples Did not experience the same type of cultural rebirth as the north

Disunity in Italy Balance of Power Established in the Peace of Lodi 1454 Establishment of modern diplomacy with ambassadors and embassies

Disunity in Italy Disunity City state patriotism and constant competition for power Prevented political centralization

Decline of the City-States Decline sparked by the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 Why? 1494, Peace of Lodi fell apart, Italy returned to constant warfare Lack of unity in Italy allowed new nation-states to take advantage

Hapsburg-Valois Wars Invited by Milan, France invaded under Charles VII Ferdinand of Aragon created League of Venice Spain vs. France Involvement of the papacy in temporal affairs Borgias: Alexander VI Pope Julius II, “Warrior Pope”

Hapsburg-Valois Wars Charles I of Spain elected Holy Roman Emperor (Charles V) in 1519 Italy became a battleground as France, Spain and the Holy Roman Emperor vied for dominance

End of the High Renaissance 1527 Sack of Rome by Charles V

Rise of the New Monarchs What was it? Transition from feudalism to unified nation-states Process: Subjugation of the nobility and the Church Rise of nationalism Growing importance of towns in society

Rise of the New Monarchs

Characteristics of New Monarchies Taxes, wars, and laws Local >>>>National Process of Centralization: Proto-bureaucracy of local officials loyal to and paid by the state New state officials were composed of the new middle class

Characteristics of New Monarchies Irrelevance of representative assemblies Use of professional standing armies State control of religion

Spanish Unification Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1469 Centralization: Stopped violence among the nobles-hermandad Royal council of “middle class” advisors right to appoint bishops in Spain and the Empire

Spanish Unification Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1469 1478 Establishment of the Inquisition Used as a political tool for unification Conversos suspect due to “race” and not beliefs 1492 expel Jews from Spain

French Monarchs Charles VII Permanent royal army Tax on salt (gabelle)and land(taille) Middle class influence in bureaucracy Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges allowed French crown control over appointments of clergy superiority of a general council over the papacy

French Monarchs Louis XI the “Spider King” Treacherous Fostered industry, taxed it, used funds to build up the army Conquered Burgundy Acquired counties of Anjou, Bar, Maine, and Provence Concordat of Bologna Right to appoint French bishops and abbots

English Monarchs Edward IV Ended War of the Roses Henry VII Establishes law and order at the local level following civil war, War of the Roses Center of royal authority was the royal council at the national level

English Monarchs Henry VII Ruled largely without Parliament Parliament was the arena where nobility exerted its power revenue controlled by Parliament

English Monarchs Henry VII Advisors from lower-level gentry origins Court of Star Chamber used against nobility Violated common law

Rise of the New Monarchs