1. The Renaissance Objective: To be able to explain why the Renaissance started in Italy during the Fifteenth Century. Objective: To be able to explain why the Renaissance started in Italy during the Fifteenth Century.

2. Why did the Renaissance start in Italy during the 15 th Century?. In this investigation we discovered that there were many reasons why the Renaissance started in Italy. By clicking on the head, hands and feet of the man opposite you can navigate to the main points we discussed after the role play. If you want to get back to this page at any time you can click on any of the pictures at the top of the page. Remember to keep a look out for any links between causes and think how you can organise your ideas most effectively. Good luck.

3. Why did the Renaissance start in Italy during the 15 th Century?. At this time Italy was not one country but many City States (shown on the map with different colours). Each State wanted to make itself the most beautiful and advanced. So they competed against each other to get the best artists and display the best art. They wanted their image to be the best!

4. Italy had been a great trading nation for centuries. The Italian City States developed many trade links in the Mediterranean and with the rest of Europe. Its merchants and bankers became very wealthy. These successful traders wanted the best art for themselves, their families and their towns. They wanted to show off their wealth.

5. Powerful men like Lorenzo de Medici… …took control of some of the City States. Mercenaries (paid soldiers), the Popes, successful merchants and businessmen wanted the world to remember them so they had their portraits done by the best artists they could afford. But they also looked after the artists and acted as their patrons. and Montefeltro of Urbino…

6. In the 15 th century, Italians started to look around and take an interest and pride in what remained of the classical cultures of…… Rome and Greece. They wanted to copy the old works of art and architecture.

7. In 1453 the city of Constantinople was captured by the Turks who were Muslim. Many Christian scholars who knew about the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome moved to Italy. Their knowledge of the ancient civilisations encouraged people to think again about long- accepted ideas. There was a rebirth of interest in classical ideas……hence the word Renaissance!!

8. We have seen how religion was very important during the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church was controlled by the Pope from Rome in the middle of his very own lands – the Papal States. This was a very powerful position. During the Renaissance however people were starting to get cross with some of the Popes who were more concerned with making themselves wealthy than looking after souls. People started to respect the Pope less. The Pope could no longer stop the development of new ideas. So Renaissance thinkers and artists were able to find out more and try new ideas out. But don’t forget religion was still very important to people at that time.