Unit 4: Europe Enters the Modern Era THE RENAISSANCE

 Renaissance: French for “rebirth”; the word describes the reawakening or rebirth of interest in the heritage of the classical past  Classical Past: Greece and Rome between 500 BCE and 476 CE  Humanism: The study of writings and ideal of the classical past (rhetoric, poetry, history, politics, philosophy)  Individualism: Behavior or theory that emphasizes each person as contrasted with corporate or community behavior.  Renaissance individualism sought great accomplishments and look for heroes of history NEED TO KNOW TERMS

 The Renaissance was a transition from the Middle Ages to Modern Times  Renaissance means “rebirth” or “reawakening”  The Renaissance occurred mainly in Italy between 1300 and 1550  Two main characteristics: new learning and changes in styles of art THE RENAISSANCE

 This is a more secular time period  The arts, literature, and scholarship emphasized the individual NOT the group  City-life dominated, not the countryside THE RENAISSANCE

 Great intellectual movement during the Renaissance focusing on rational human solutions to problems NOT gods or religious creeds  Greek and Latin classics held all lessons need to lead moral and effective life  Convinced popes that the Church needed their help to create powerful, enlightened view of modern rules of Church  In the end, it did not reform the Church HUMANISM

 Economics was the primary cause:  Northern Italy was wealthy from trade (intermediary for the East and West)  Wealth gave people leisure to pursue new ideas, and money to support the artists and scholars who produced new works CAUSES OF THE RENAISSANCE

 Political Interaction Led to Sweeping Changes  Struggles between the papacy, Holy Roman Empire, and merchants in the Middle Ages led to the independence of many small city-states in Northern Italy  City-state governments were often in the hands of one man  competed with one another by supporting artists and scholars  Florence  the Medici  Milan  Visconti and then the Sforza  Venice  Council of Ten CAUSES OF THE RENAISSANCE

 Historical Influences:  Italian cities were often built on ancient Roman ruins  Citizens saw this as their heritage  During wars between city-states, contestants sought justification for their actions even in classical history  Looked especially to Ancient Rome (but Greece as well)  A fusion of Greco-Roman cultures occurred at this time CAUSES OF THE RENAISSANCE