1. Unit 9 Late Middle Ages and Renaissance Days 4 The Renaissance, Italian City-States, Machiavelli, & the Medici's

2. The Renaissance

3. This period between 1350 and 1550 was known as the Renaissance (means “rebirth”) – a period marked by a “rebirth” in Greco- Roman knowledge and arts (painting, sculpting, architecture, literature, and science) in Europe.
Started in the Northern Italian city-states and spread into Northern and Western Europe.
The Renaissance marks the birth of the modern world.

4. There were many factors that contributed to the start of the Renaissance:
Economic effects of the Crusades.
Trade promoted contact between Empires
New Economic Concepts and Institutions Developed (Banks)
Development of Italian City-States

5. Economic Effects of the Crusades
Crusades stimulated trade by introducing Europeans to many desirable products
Trade promoted frequent contacts with Byzantine and Muslim Empires
Crusades increased demand for Middle Eastern products
Trade was stimulated and Europeans demanded Middle Eastern trading goods included spices, fruits and cloth

6. Economic Effects of the Crusades
Crusades stimulated production of goods and trade in Middle Eastern markets
Crusades encouraged use of credit and banking
Muslim money changers set up banks in Muslim Empire’s cities
Banks offered credit in the form of sakks, pronounced “checks”
Crusades led to rise of urban areas, large city-states in Northern Italy

7. Important Economic Concepts
After Crusades new economic institutions develop
Church rule against usury and banks’ practice of charging interest helped to secularize northern Italy
Usury: lending of money at high interest rates. The church had rules against this.
Secularize: to transfer from religious to civil or use or control
Northern Italian trading centers of Florence, Venice and Genoa flourished as the church relaxed its rule on usury
Banking becomes an important business especially in Italy

8. Letters of credit, expanded the supply of money and expedited trade
Merchants and traders exchanged checks for cash
New accounting and bookkeeping practices were introduced
Use of Arabic numbers (i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.)

9. Rise of City-States in Italy
Wealth accumulated from European trade with the Middle East led to the rise of Italian city-states.
Wealthy Merchants ere active civic leaders.
European Renaissance, a rebirth of learning and the arts, began in northern Italy in 1300s
Important Italian Renaissance city-states included:
Florence
Venice
Genoa

10. Florence, Venice and Genoa were important city-states
Italian city-states had access to trade routes connecting Europe with Middle Eastern markets
City-states served as trading centers for the distribution of goods to northern Europe
Were initially independent city-states governed as republics
Ran own affairs, collected own taxes, and had own armies
Wealthy merchants were the most powerful class and they dominated politics in these republics
Venice
Genoa
Florence
The Renaissance, or rebirth in art and learning, began in northern Italy in the 1300s

11. Machiavelli’s The Prince
Wrote an early modern treatise (book) on government, The Prince
Believed the world was wicked and most people are selfish, fickle and corrupt
Supported absolute power of the ruler
Detailed how a ruler could gain power and keep it from his enemies
Maintained “the end justifies the means”
What was politically effective was more important than what was morally right
Do good if possible, but do evil when necessary
It “is much safer to be feared than loved”

12. The Medici Family in Florence
Wealthy merchants, like Cosimo de Medici of the wealthy Medici family, were active civic leaders
Medici wealth came from trade & banking
Medici family had banks throughout Italy
Also had banks in major European cities
Cosimo de’ Medici, known as Cosimo the Elder, was the wealthiest European of his time and was the virtual dictator of Florence.