The Italian Renaissance (1300-1600) Mrs. Chen 7th Grade World History

The Renaissance Begins in Italy Essential Question: Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy? Renaissance: A period of creativity and rebirth of Classical art and learning The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe

Why Italy? Italy was the center of the Roman Empire so artists and writers didn’t have to go far to find classical works Geographically, many trade routes went through Italy causing the development of many urban centers, cities like Florence, Venice, and Milan. The independent cities allowed for a quicker growth of a wealthy and powerful merchant class.

Trade Routes

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance Florence was a center of banking and clothing production bringing the city great wealth A wealthy and powerful merchant class developed who actively supported the arts Many became patrons of the arts The Medici family was such a wealthy family who patron the arts

Florence

Venice

Milan

Italian City-States Life in the Italian city-states changed the way some residents viewed the world. Though very religious, these residents concentrated more on this life than on heaven or hell. In doing so they hoped to understand people and their world better. Italian businessmen had offices in cities throughout Europe. Where ever they were they lived in Italian Renaissance style. Other Europeans began to appreciate the Italians’ emphasis on wealth, beauty, and personal achievement.

The Medicis

Palazzo Medici

Think Pair Share Answer the essential question as thoroughly as possible, discuss this with your elbow partner Essential question: Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?

Social Classes in Renaissance Italy Essential Question: What was the social structure in Renaissance Italy? Only the wealthy had the resources and time to study classical texts and humanist ideas, so the Renaissance mainly benefited the upper class Upper class = noble and wealthy merchants Many upper class men strove to be a “Renaissance Man” = someone who excels in many academic subjects

The Upper Class

Other Classes… Most people were not wealthy… Middle class citizens were mainly modest trades people or merchants Lower class were poor people who were often laborers Most of the poor were not well educated so the ideas of the Renaissance did not reach them, but the ideas did influence life in Europe and society today

Peasants

Think Pair Share Based on these images, explain the role of women during the Renaissance.

Advances in the Arts & Sciences Essential Question: In what areas did Renaissance figures make notable achievements? In sculpture and painting, ideal realism achieved through new techniques, such as perspective: appearance of 3 dimensions In architecture, large domes designed and built for churches In science, new discoveries were made in anatomy and medicine In literature, writers began to write in vernacular, common language so that writing became more accessible

Famous Artists Leonardo Da Vinci Michaelangelo Raphael Renaissance Man; painted The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa Michaelangelo Painter and sculptor; sculpted Moses and The Pieta, painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel Raphael Da Vinci’s student, painted The School of Athens

Try drawing any object of scene using perspective

Scientific Discoveries Ambroise Pare French doctor and surgeon who started to use bandages and thread to close wounds Nicolas Copernicus First to suggest revolution of the Earth around the Sun

Think Pair Share Can you think of any scientific discoveries that would impact our world greatly today?

Italian Renaissance Writers Dante Alighieri Wrote the long poem The Divine Comedy which focused on life after death He was the first to write in vernacular Machiavelli Wrote The Prince, a book about politics

The Printing Press & It’s Impact During the 1400s, Johann Gutenberg, a German inventor, invented a printing press: a machine that pressed paper against a full tray of inked movable type

Johan Gutenberg & the Printing Press It reduced the cost of printing so more people could own books More common people learned how to read It became easier for scholars to gain access to the work of others

Paper Manufacturing In the workshops of Cordoba, craftsmen developed the ability to make paper cheaply

The Renaissance Spreads The dissemination of information began to happen much faster By the 1400s, Renaissance ideas spread north to France, Germany, Spain, and England The Elizabethan Age & William Shakespeare in England Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) supported artists and writers Shakespeare wrote many plays including Romeo & Juliet, Othello, and Hamlet. His plays are so popular because he showed a strong understanding of human nature and relationships

Queen Elizabeth I

Othello Hamlet

Romeo & Juliet

Think Pair Share Explain the three factors that changed the dissemination of information during the Renaissance. How did this help spread Renaissance ideas? Can you think of another, more recent, big change to the dissemination of information in our society?

Renaissance Hall of Fame Group Roles Leader: Time management, keeping the group on task, leads the discussion about poster content and layout Interpreter & Scribe: Interprets and examines the written information from the secondary source document(s), notes, and textbook then synthesizes the information into a written summary on the poster Artist: All the artwork on the poster is relevant to the written content