1. Italian Renaissance

2. Impact of Black Death Made people question their faith in God
Made people want to live for the “here and now”
Shift from religious to secular “worldly” life

3. Renaissance A “rebirth” of art and learning; follows Middle Ages
Started in Italy and eventually spread north
Looked to Roman ruins for inspiration

4. Urban Centers Italy had large cities, while rest of Europe was rural
Cities allowed people to share ideas

5. Merchants the most powerful and wealthiest class in Italy
dominated Italian politics
No inheritance, had to earn status

6. Medici Family (Cosimo de Medici)
Wealthy merchants in Florence
Controlled government by giving loans to political leaders
Was dictator of Florence

7. Lorenzo de Medici Took over after father’s death
Was great patron of the arts

8. Classical Ideas influence Renaissance
Greek texts return to Italy after fall of Constantinople
Italians studied these texts and were inspired by them

9. Humanism Belief in human potential and achievement
Suggested people can enjoy life without offending God
history, literature, and philosophy (Humanities)

10. The Secular Renaissance
Secular- worldly and concerned with the here and now
Although there were Christian influences, the Renaissance was mainly a secular movement

11. The Renaissance Man
People who excelled in many areas would be know as a “universal man”
Later became known as Renaissance Man
Ex. Leonardo da Vinci

12. Machiavelli Wrote The Prince in 1513
Says that most people are selfish, fickle, and corrupt
Rulers should be strong and shrewd
Not concerned with morality

13. The Northern Renaissance

14. Background England and France
Population was shattered because of the plague
Hundred Years War ended in 1453
Cities grew rapidly
Merchants had money to support the arts

15. Erasmus In Praise of Folly
Believed in a Christianity of the heart, not rules and ceremonies
Said all people should study the bible

16. Thomas More Concerned with society’s flaws Utopia-
imaginary land inhabited by peace-loving people
Greed, war, corruption, and crime had been weeded out

17. Queen Elizabeth I Queen of England during Renaissance Elizabethan Age
Well educated, spoke 5 languages
Patron of the arts and writers

18. William Shakespeare English, “greatest playwright of all time”
Revealed souls of men and women through dramatic conflict
Many plays examine human flaws
Inspired by classics

19. The Printing Press Invented by Johann Gutenberg
First printed the Gutenberg Bible in 1455
Printing allowed books to be sold for a cheap price; more people could afford them
More people reading books leads to new ideas spreading more quickly
Allowed more people access to education

20. WARNING PG-13 content tomorrow
Let me know if you need alternative assignment