THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

Renaissance: a rebirth or ancient Greek and Roman culture A new culture emerges in southern Europe, starts in Italy Italy was largely an urban society with powerful city-states Intellectuals and artists believed they were part of a new Golden Age They wanted to separate themselves from “backwardness” of the Middle Ages, or Dark Ages Economic growth laid the material basis for the Renaissance The Italian city-states were involved in trade due to their geography and served as the economic center of Europe

The Italian City-States Italy was divided into several large city-states in the north and various kingdoms in the south Florence A republic located in northern Italy Wealthy due to trade, the wool industry, and banking Became tax collectors for the papacy and gave loans to kings The powerful and rich de’ Medici family controlled this city-state Cosimo de’ Medici and his grandson Lorenzo de’ Medici

The first artistic and literary beginnings of the Renaissance start here Comes to an end when a Dominican friar runs the de’ Medici out of town People soon get tired of the friar’s strict ways and he is executed for heresy Milan Located in northern Italy Grew wealthy due to being the crossroads between main trade routes from Italian coastal cities and the Alpine passes

Venice The Papal States Located in northern Italy Link between Asia and western Europe, traders from all overcame there Was an international power due to its trade empire Small group of wealthy merchants ran the city to serve their own interests The Papal States Controlled by the Pope, and in the pope’s absence, noble families Rome became the center of the Renaissance after it declined in Florence and it was called the High Renaissance

The Three Estates (Social Classes) Clergy Nobles The old landed nobility began to intermarry with the new wealthy merchant families Peasants and townspeople Three classes of the towns: Patricians = wealthy merchants and bankers Burghers = shopkeepers, artisans, and guild members who provided goods and services for the town Workers = lives not good, urban poverty begins to increase

The upper classes were more affected by the Renaissance than the lower classes and more likely to embrace its ideas The upper classes had more rights than the urban underclass, or popolo These popolo were heavily taxed and couldn’t vote or hold public office Eventually the popolo used armed force and violence to take over the city gov’t Starts in Florence and spread The popolo established Republican gov’ts – enduring idea of the Roman Republic However they were republics in name only Soon replaced by oligarchies and signori (one-man rulers

Politics and War Maintaining the balance of power If one city-state seems to get too powerful, the others ally together against the major threat Try to create an alliance against foreign powers, but the breakdown of the alliance will lead to the domination of Italy by foreign powers Invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France Attracted by the riches of Italy, Charles leads an army of 30,000 men into Italy in 1494 Charles occupies Naples in the south Northern Italian states ask Spain for help

For the next 30 years, France and Spain make Italy their battle ground 1527 – thousands of Spanish troops along with mercenaries (hired soldiers) arrive at Rome to protect it They had not been paid for months and demand money The leader lets them sack Rome as their payment Soldiers go crazy in a frenzy of looting and bloodshed The authorities had to establish control The sacking of Rome ends the wars and leaves Spain a dominant force in Italy It will also bring an end to the High Renaissance

Characteristics of the Renaissance Secular society People were becoming more concerned with the material world, had more of a worldly focus Still deeply religious, however they concentrated on the here and now, not on life after death Individualism People sought to receive personal credit for their achievements Personal quest for glory – people want money and success

This went against the medieval ideal of all glory going to God and contrasted with Church teachings that individuality and achievement were unimportant The Renaissance Man – a person who could do many things well The ideal Renaissance man = Leonardo da Vinci Humanism “new learning” – interest in and study of the Latin classics to learn what they reveal about human nature Studied the original manuscripts Petrarch is considered to be the father of humanism

Civic humanists = used their humanist education to serve the city governments Also revived the Greek language

Renaissance Intellectuals Machiavelli Wrote The Prince, which is the most widely read and studied Renaissance book The subject is about how a ruler should gain, maintain, and increase political power Machiavelli is about by what he sees as the foreign domination of Italy and he feels that one ruler needs to unite Italy As a humanist, Machiavelli studied human nature Concludes that humans are “ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers”

Decides that it is better for a ruler to be feared than loved Rejects the idea that rulers should be moral and follow Christian principles separate morals from politics Rulers must do whatever is necessary to maintain power and protect the state The end justifies the means Castiglione Wrote The Courtier, a book on the expected behaviors and education of nobles Used as a guide for nobles for the next several centuries

Renaissance Art The Renaissance made its greatest impact in the area of art New artistic styles: use of oil painting, free-standing sculptures, portraits, nudity, and single-point perspective Many people sponsored the arts to glorify themselves and their families Two major periods: Early Renaissance – takes place in Florence High Renaissance – takes place in Rome Four major artists of the Renaissance:

Four major artists of the Renaissance: Michelangelo – painted the Sistene Chapel, sculptural masterpiece = David Leonardo da Vinci – Mona Lisa and the Last Supper Raphael – famous for his madonnas (images of Jesus and Mary) Donatello – sculptor, lived during the Early Renaissance

The Northern Renaissance Late 15th century, the Italian Renaissance begins to affect the rest of Europe Moves into northern Europe, is more religious Christian Humanism People in northern Europe were still seeking ways to deepen their Christian beliefs and questions Christian humanists believed they could achieve this higher understanding by studying early Christian works along with the Latin classics Often criticized the Church

Erasmus The best of the northern humanists, was Dutch Criticized the Church and wanted to reform it, but not leave it Saw education as the means to reform Sir Thomas More Englishman, lawyer, and chancellor to King Henry VIII Wrote Utopia (“nowhere”) – about an ideal society Gave his life for his beliefs Northern Renaissance art Jan van Eyck – one of the first to use oil paint Albrecht Durer – famous for his woodcuts and altar panels

The Elizabethan Renaissance The greatest achievement in the arts in northern Europe took place in England Most of what is referred to as the Elizabethan Renaissance actually occurred during the reign of James I Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales consists of a collection of stories told by a group of 29 pilgrims journeying to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury William Shakespeare Wrote many plays that reveal an unsurpassed understanding of the human psyche