1. Big Idea: Italian Intellectuals enter new age of achievement
Chapter 12.1
Big Idea: Italian Intellectuals enter new age of achievement

2. Renaissance (1300’s -1400’s) Renaissance=Rebirth /renewal
3 Characteristics
Italy -urban society=secular (worldly) views.
Recovery from disasters of middle ages. (plague, political instability, & decline of church power)
Individualism (ability & universal person).
-During the middle ages people experiences a lot of darkness from the disputes of land between role families to the death of hundreds because of the black death and not understanding the cause. As a result people lost faith in the church.
As we go through this chapter we will focus on 3 characteristics that gave life to the renaissance.
Italy was largely an urban (powerful City-states) society. Within this society was a secular(worldly) view point.
Why do cities usually have more of the new ideas?
Was an age of recovery from the disasters of the 14th century. (plague, political instability, and a decline of church power)
New view of human beings emerged. Individual ability became important. Well rounded, universal person was emphasized, like Leonardo da Vinci. (he was a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, and mathematician)
I am the Renaissance!

3. The Italian States Started –Italy
not united –independent city-states -wealthy families control
Urban (Cities)-trade -ideas spread fast
Milan -richest city-states.
Venice –trade link between Asia & western Europe
Florence -Controlled by Medici family & art patrons (support artist)
The renaissance started in Italy because of it’s geographical trade advantage and the fact that it was the center of what had been the Ancient Roman World.
Italy had never merged under one powerful leader at this point in it’s history but had instead after the Roman empire broken into many small city states. Over time some of these became more powerful then others-especially after the crusades. All the supplies for the European forces had to come through the Italian peninsula before they went to Asia minor for the troops. Remember this was also how the black plague had spread and where the silk road goods ended in earlier times of the roman empire.
Some of the city-states of the is time became very powerful and were controlled by wealthy families that almost acted as kings of the towns and had the final say of what happened in the city-state ( this is when the merchant class begins to move up in the ranks of social power and wealth is beginning to be shown more throw money than through land).
Milan -richest city-states. –good take system
Venice -link between Asia & western Europe-attracts world trade.
Florence -Controlled by Medici family and great patrons of the arts
In the 1400’s, the Medici family of Florence organized a banking business that prospered into other businesses.
The Medici family became the uncrowned rulers of the Florentine government for many years.
Lorenzo Medici represented the Renaissance idea. He was a generous patron and under him, poets and philosophers frequently visited the Medici family palace.
Since these cities were in Rome they were the natural eres to heirs to the Roman Art from the empire.

4. Italian Wars Rest of Europe wants Italy’s Riches. Foreign domination
1494 France & Spain fight over Italy - 30yrs.
Spanish hired to protect Italian states-no pay
Spain sacked Rome =Spanish dominated Italy.
Originally France ( Charles VIII 1494) attacked northern Italy and since the states were not united they were not strong enough to hold the French back. Northern city-states asked Spain for help. The Spanish said yes and fought for 30yrs, but were never paid the Spanish (Charles I) became angry so they invaded Rome and took control.

5. Machiavelli on Power Niccolo Machiavelli, wrote “The Prince”
How to acquire & keep political power
human nature is self-centered.
Leaders should not focus on morals to rule
With all these power struggles and changes in ruling families people began to question just how a ruler should rule. During the middle ages a ruler was expected to rule based on Christian principals (morality).
During the renaissance you begin to have rulers who believe that morality has little to do with what makes someone a good ruler. That morality should actually play a very small role in ruling.
Niccolo Machiavelli believed that by human nature people are self centered and since the prince needs to do what is best for the state he needs to not think about weather doing something is right or wrong but weather the result is what is best for the state.

6. Renaissance Society-p.402
1st estate-Clergy
2nd estate -Nobility
“The Book of the Courtier,” by Castiglione
nobles were….
Born, not made
Warriors & educated.
3rd estate
Peasants- worked manors
legally free (serfs)
Towns people
patricians-wealthy (trade, industry, & banking)
burghers-shopkeepers, artisans, guild masters/members.
workers & unemployed
Three Estates of People
1st estate-Clergy
2nd estate -Nobility
“The Book of the Courtier,” by Castiglione
nobles were….
Born, not made,
Warriors, educated
Character, grace, & talent;
Serve his prince in effective & honest way.
3rd estate
peasants
85-90% of pop & legally free (serfs)
Towns people
patricians-wealth from trade, industry, & banking
burghers-shopkeepers, artisans, guild masters, & guild members.
workers & unemployed, 30-40% of population

7. Family and Marriage Family bond=security.
Arranged marriages with dowry
Father/husband -dominant,
Children -adults when their father freed them.

8. Johannes Gutenberg Invented movable type Gutenberg Bible.
rise of literacy -spreading of ideas
More books=Cheap books

9. Section 1 Review Renaissance means what? Rebirth
What are the most important characteristics of the Renaissance?
Urban society
An age of recovery from plagues, political upheaval, and decline of Church authority.
A higher regard for the value of the individual human.

10. Section 1 Review The Book of the Courtier was written by who?
Castiglione
Means worldly?
Secular
This book said a noble should fulfill certain ideas, perform military exercises, and gain a classical education.
The Book of the Courtier

11. Section 1 Review Sum of money given to the groom by the wife’s family.
Dowry
Political work by Machiavelli
The Prince
He encouraged rulers and would-be rulers to believe that human nature was self-centered.
Machiavelli

12. Section 1 Review
The city-state that was led by a group of wealthy merchant-aristocrats was what?
Venice
Turning point that caused Charles VIII of France to lose the Italian wars.
The invasion and sack of Rome in 1537
How did the printing press contribute to the Renaissance?
It brought renewed interest in learning and culture, spread ideas faster and more widely then ever before.