1. The Renaissance in Europe
Chapter 15

2. Do-Now
What is a Renaissance? How do you think it impacted Europe?

3. End of the Middle Ages
The “Dark Ages” were bombarded with crisis’ including:
The Black Death
The Hundred Years’ War
The Great Schism
The Church dominated in all ways politically and socially.

4. The Renaissance Time period: 1350-1600 Meaning “rebirth”
Began in Italy in the 1300s
Served as a bridge between the Middle Ages and modern times
Explored human experience instead of religion
Began in Italy

5. Geography of Italy Italy thrived on their trading network
Italy is surrounded by water: the Mediterranean Sea
Italy used the Mediterranean Sea for protection and trade
Italy traded with the Middle East, Africa, and Asia all thanks to the Mediterranean.

6. Government of Italy
Italy during the Middle Ages did not set up a centralized monarchy
Instead, Italy had a number of city states
By the 15th century- 5 city states existed: Milan, Venice, Florence, the papal states which centered on Rome, and the Kingdom of Naples

7. Why Italy? Why did the Renaissance occur in Italy first?
Renaissance thinkers had a new interest in ancient Rome
Italy- center of Roman empire
Architectural remains, statues and coins from ancient Rome.
Location encouraged trade
How did the Crusades influence the Renaissance?
Who ruled the Italian states?
Controlled by powerful and wealthy families

9. The Italian City States
Each dominated politically and economically
Trade encouraged the exchange of ideas that helped stimulate the development of Renaissance culture
Milan, Venice, and Florence are located in northern Italy
Milan- well known for trade
Visconti family became the dukes in Milan
The last Visconti died in 1447
Mercenaries (soldiers) fought to take over especially because they wanted money
The most well known mercenary group is the Sforza
Sforza’s took over and built a strong centralized state
Brought in a tax system

10. Venice Italy’s well known city states
Attracted traders from all over the world
Was a republic
Had a leader called a doge
Wealthy merchants ran the republic

11. Florence
14th century
Small wealth group of merchants took over the Florentine government
Merchants had a series of wars against their neighbors
Established it as a strong city-state
Cosimo de Medici- wealthy leader- ran the government from behind the scenes

12. The Social Classes
Nobility-dominated society. Held important political posts and served as advisers to the king
Peasants and Townspeople- Peasants were the majority of the population, serfdom declined.

13. The Social Classes 1. Patricians
2. Burghers- shopkeepers, artisans, guild masters, guild members
3. Workers/peasants
4. Unemployed

14. Family and Marriage
Parents arranged marriages to strengthen business ties
Fathers and husbands were at the center of the family
Men managed the finances
A woman’s role was to supervise the household

15. Machiavelli
During the Renaissance, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book titled The Prince
In The Prince, Machiavelli brings up an issue- is it better to be loved or feared?
Machiavelli noted that the prince acts on behalf of the state. The leader (being the prince) must do good works when possible, but be ready to do evil when necessary
Believed morality was unrelated to politics
“The end justifies the means”

16. Section 2: Ideas and Art of the Renaissance

17. Humanism Humanism focused on the individual
Seen as a major change from the Middle Ages religion centered life and culture
Goals: educate the whole person (today’s liberal arts)
Based on the classics- the literature of ancient Greece and Rome
Use the classics to revitalize their culture
Humanists wanted to revitalize their culture
Renaissance art was very realistic

18. Humanism
Humanists believed that intellectuals had a duty to live an active civic life
Byzantine and Islamic influences were important to the development of Renaissance humanism
Byzantine scholars provide knowledge of the ancient Greek language

19. Francisco Petrarch
Called the father of the Italian Renaissance humanism
He placed an emphasis on classical Latin
Believed that intellectuals had a duty to live an active civic life and to put their study of the humanities to the state’ service

20. A New View of the World
How did the way people think change from the Middle Ages?
What was the focus of life and the future?
What was the ideal “Renaissance Man?”
Baldassare Castiglione
Describes the men should have manners, skills, an education, virtues, be good at games, play a musical instrument, and knows literature and history

21. Vernacular
The humanistic approach led to people wanting to write down their findings, especially scholars, lawyers, and religious people
Issue: in the different regions of Italy was a different vernacular (local spoken language)

22. Renaissance Education
Education was increasingly secular and less focused on religion
Core of humanist schools were liberal studies (history, ethics, public speaking…)
Purpose of liberal education was to produce individuals who follow a path of virtue and wisdom
Also emphasized physical education

23. The Printing Press
Papermaking technologies were seen throughout the world
The invention of the movable type in the 1400s led to Johann Gutenberg’s printing of the Bible in Germany in 1456
Outcome:
Books became more available
Literacy increased
Ideas spread rapidly

24. Renaissance Artists
Michelangelo- sculptor, engineer, poet, painter, architect. Best known for his statue of David
Leonardo da Vinci- interested in the human anatomy, most well known painting is the Mona Lisa
Renaissance artists sought to imitate nature and paint the human body

25. New Techniques in Painting
14th century Giotto- focused on depicting human beings and their realities and dramas
Originally painted frescos
Frescos- painting done on fresh wet plaster with water based paints
New perspectives
Tried to give their image/painting three- dimensional depth; Middle Ages art looked very flat

26. Sculpture and Architecture
Renaissance sculptors and architects sought to express a human-centered world
Donatello- studied the statues of Greeks and Romans
Buildings of classical Rome inspired the work of Filippo Brunelleschi

27. Renaissance Artists Leonardo da Vinci Raphael Sanzio
Artist, scientist, inventor
Dissected human bodies to better understand their workings
Raphael Sanzio
Numerous Madonna paintings
Has frescos in the Vatican palace
Michaelangelo Buonarroti
Sistine Chapel ceiling

28. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

29. Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper

30. Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man

31. Michelangelo's David

32. Michelangelo's Pieta

33. Fresco

34. Architecture: Brunelleschi’s Duomo

35. Inside the Duomo

36. Brunelleschi’s Gates of Paradise

37. Middle Ages Art Compared to the Renaissance

38. Northern Artistic Renaissance
Northern Europe sought to portray their world realistically
Painted illustrations for books and wooden panels
School of art: Flanders
Flemish artists typically placed their subjects among everyday objects
By northern Europe began to study the Italian Renaissance

39. Women during the Renaissance
Peasant and Lower Class women
Did their status change from the Middle Ages?
What was marriage based on?
More young women turned to prostitution during the Middle Ages
Wealthy women enjoyed more freedoms such as an education
Women were seen as ornaments on her husband’s arm
Women were to make themselves pleasing to men and remain pure until marriage

40. Women during the Renaissance
Christine de Pisan
Why is she revolutionary?