1. Renaissance and reformation
Chapter 12:
Renaissance and reformation

2. Section 1 The Renaissance
The Renaissance began with the emergence of a secular worldview in the wealthy city-states of Italy.
The city-states were the dominant force in Italy's economic, social, and political life.
It was in this context that the writer Machiavelli developed his famous thesis on political power.

3. Milan, Venice, and Florence were particularly prosperous trading centers.
Italy's riches prompted France to invade.
Spain came to Italy's defense, leading to war and Spanish domination.

4. Italy was a largely urban society
Italy was a largely urban society. However, most people in Europe were peasants, and nobles held considerable power.
In the towns and cities, there were clear divisions between the classes, ranging from the wealthy and influential patricians to the miserably poor.
The family was an important source of security in Italy's dangerous cities.

5. Section 2 The Intellectual and Artistic Renaissance
Humanism was a key intellectual movement of the Renaissance, focusing on the study of the ancient Greek and Roman classics.
While early humanists emphasized solitary learning, fifteenth century humanists stressed intellectualism in the service of the state.

6. Humanism encouraged the use of classical Latin
Humanism encouraged the use of classical Latin. However, European writers such as Dante and Chaucer wrote in their own vernacular.
Humanist schools taught a broad range of liberal studies.

7. Renaissance artists sought to imitate nature,
but also to make human beings the focus of their
works.
Painting, sculpture, and architecture were
among the revolutionary achievements of
Renaissance art.

8. Some Renaissance artists, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, produced masterpieces in all three disciplines.
Artistic developments in Italy were a major influence on art in northern Europe.