The Renaissance (1350?-1550? or 1450 to 1527)

Economic Growth Cross roads of the Crusades Genoa and Venice – Shipbuilding and Trade with the East Florence – Wool trade with the British Isles

Florence and the Medici Family

Banking Empire Recovered from Edward III default in 1344 Recovered from the Plague 1350s Recovered from the Ciompi Revolts of 1378

Italian City-States Communes- Free association of merchant guilds –Urban areas gained independence from nobles –Merchants merged with noble families combining wealth and title creating the Urban Nobility. –Formation of tightly knit families expanding their rights. –Only few males could vote – Oligarchy with a constitution – 2 centuries

15 th Century (1400s) The Princely Court Made Laws Received ambassadors Displayed wealth, and patronage

The Balance of Power Dominated by five powers

The Rulers Levied taxes Crushed urban revolts Killed their enemies Massive building projects –Awe the masses –Employ locals

Italian Politics A jungle where the powerful dominated the weak

Patterns of shifting alliances lasted until 1494

Savonarola predicted the downfall, in 1494 he was burned Predicted French invasion Criticized Pope Alexander VI Helped bring down the Medici in Florence

The French Invasion of Charles VIII (r )

League of Cambria 1508 French, Germans, and Italians Created with Pope Julius II to strip Venice of its power

The Habsburg – Valois Wars( ) Leo X allies with the Germans and Spanish (Habsburg) to stop the French 1526 Pope Clement allies with French to limit Charles V power Charles V allows sack of Rome 1527

Intellectual Hallmarks of the Renaissance Classicism Petrarch ( ) Greco-Roman culture was the high peak of civilization Dark and Middle Ages Held little value

Individualism: stresses, personality, uniqueness, genius, and the full development of ones capabilities and talents. Literature emerged concerned with the nature of the individual and its uniqueness. Men can do all things if they will. Leon Battista Alberti

Humanism: literary culture one needs in order to be considered educated and civilized Studied the Latin classics to understand human nature Studied from a Christian perspective Focused on the divine image implanted in man by God. –Pico Della Mirandola On the Dignity of Man

The Spirit of the Renaissance Secularism- Concern with the material, and the here and now –Economic changes in the Italian cities –Lorenzo Valla Pleasure to the senses is the highest good. The False Donation of Constantine. Forged document Pope was given the power of emperor and Church Keys to the kingdom Temporal and Spiritual. –Church leaders were participating in worldly activities

Art and Artist Art represented corporate power – Cloth merchants paid for The Dome – Brunelleschi –Ghiberti – The Bronze Doors Art was a means of self glorification –Patrons competed for recognition through the artists. Consumerism- Wealthy spending most of their money on their home and décor.

Art becomes more secular The individual portrait emerges Movement towards realism –Greco-Roman works –Linear perspective Status of the Artist Movement of the Culture

The Northern Renaissance More Christian More Pious – humble Erasmus- Praise of Folly More-Utopia

Education and Political Thought The Courtier: Dance, music, riding, writing. Etc… –Renaissance Humanism helped some women –Pisan –Certa –Marriage ended social exposure –Woman who became learned violated nature and therefore were no longer real women –The Prince – Amoral cynicism

The Printed Word Gutenberg- Moveable type –Transformed public and private lives –Connected previously silent identities that challenged older loyalties –Stimulated literacy –Increased the vernacular

The Clock Quantification –Time is money –Equal length of the work day year round. Women and Work –Lower and middle class worked –Upper class – status declined – focus on the domestic

Culture and Sexuality Double standard Rape not a serious crime, but different in upper and lower classes Homosexuality –Office of the Night men accused –Young boys and older men