The Renaissance In Italy

What is the Renaissance? The word Renaissance means “Rebirth.” During the Middle Ages, people had lived lives centered around their villages or towns. Their lives were based around the Catholic Church.

What Changed During the Renaissance? The Renaissance began around 1300 and reached its peak around 1500. The Renaissance marked the transition from the medieval world to the modern world. Interest was reawakened in the Greek and Roman writings and learning. During the Middle Ages, scholars focused on religion. Renaissance thinkers focused on this lifetime and the experience of being human. This movement was called humanism. These new thinkers focused on a variety of topics.

The Renaissance Starts in Italy Italy had the remains of Ancient Rome. Italy was on the Mediterranean and in an ideal place for trading. The Roman Catholic Church was based in Italy. Italy was divided into city states.

Patrons and Powerful Families City states were ruled by powerful families and a strong merchant class. The Medici family of Florence was the most famous of these. These families served as patrons of the arts. That means they gave money to artists.

Renaissance Art Flourishes Many artists were supported by powerful patrons. They more topics than just religious themes. Artists made realistic artwork and used perspective. Perspective means making close items larger than far items to make it seem realistic. Artists also used shading and correct anatomy.

Leonardo da Vinci He was the ultimate Renaissance man. He was a painter and engineer. He created famous paintings and also created inventions. He was known for his curiosity and ingenuity. He learned about human anatomy by dissecting cadavers.

The Last Supper

The Mona Lisa

The Notebooks of Leonardo

Michelangelo He was a sculptor, engineer, painter, architect, and poet. He created marble masterpieces and painted the Sistine Chapel. He also created the design for the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral.

David

The Pieta

The Sistine Chapel

The Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica

Rafael, the School of Athens

The Renaissance Spreads to the Rest of Europe

The Printing Revolution During the Middle Ages, books were copied by scribes and monks by hand. Around 1455, a German named Johann Gutenberg created the first moveable type printing press. This made books much more common and much more accessible to the people.

The Printing Press

Sir Thomas More’s Utopia Thomas More was an English writer. He wrote a book about a perfect society called “Utopia” where everyone is equal and everyone lives in peace and harmony. We still use the word utopia to describe a perfect world or society.

William Shakespeare Shakespeare was the most important literary writer during the Renaissance. He wrote 37 plays that are still performed today. He also greatly enriched the English language.