1. Characteristics of Italian City States  Urban Centers –City state prospered while Europe remained rural –Late 1300’s Florence, Venice and Milan had pop. Of 100,000  Wealthy merchants –No kings – wealthy merchants formed oligarchies to rule city-states –Wealthy families controlled political, economical and artistic life

2. Florence and the Medici  Florence –During 15 th cent. Florence was the epic center of the Renaissance –Success was based on wealth earne in textile, merchants and banking  Medici –Dominated 15 th cent. Florence –Earned $ as bankers: Cosimo, Piero and Lorenzo the Magnificent. –Florence Ren. Peaked during Lorenzo.

3. Renaissance Spirit  Medieval mindset –God created world to prepare people for salvation – individual was insignificant –Art and architecture was to glorify God not self  New celebration of individual –Wealth was worked for not inherited –Artist and writers wanted to be known – Fame –Portrait panting and autobiographies promote individual – “patrons” –Stressed “virtu” using your talents and personality to potential

4. Cont. –Giovanni pico della Miranda celebrated human greatness in “Oration on the Dignity of Man”  Scholarship and the love for Classical learning –Humanist, Petrarch called Medieval pd. The Dark Ages. –Humanists studied Greek and Roman lit. Studying the Classics would lead to a more practical understanding of the human –Liberal arts, the vernacular and preserving Greek and Roman manuscripts –Lorenzo Valla discovered that the Donation of Constantine was a forgery

5. Cont.  New Secular spirit –Medieval – spiritual values and salvation –Ren. Culture was interested in material possessions, music, food, art

6. Education and the ideal Courtier  Humanist Education –Medieval – to understand God, Humanist – to understand human nature –Opened schools that taught Rom. Hist., Greek Phil. And Latin –Would benefit future business, political and military leaders  Baldassare Castiglone 1478-1529 –The individual strove to be come the “universal man” excelled in many areas –The Courtier he explained how men and women could become accomplished courtiers –Polite, charming, witty, able to dance, write poetry, sing, play music. Be graceful and strong

7. Castiglione cont.  Perfect court lady –Well educated –Charming –Should not seek fame –Expected to inspire poetry and art but rarely create it.

8. Machiavelli and the Prince  Turmoil in Italy –Golden age ended with death of Lorenzo TM 1492 leaving no strong leader –1494 King Charles VIII of France invaded Italy- challenge by Ferdinand of Spain –Resulted in the Habsburg- Valois Wars. –Involving all Italian city states –Diplomacy and war become keys to survival  Niccolo Machiavelli –Was a Florentine diplomat, politician and philosopher. The founder of modern political science –Is appalled by the devastation of the war- Italy is without a head, without order, torn in pieces, overrun, and abandoned to destruction. She prays God to send someone to rescue her from the barbarous cruelties –Wrote The Prince to advise Italian leaders on the ruthless statecraft needed to unite Italy

9.  Qualities of a successful Prince –Pessimistic view of human nature. –Read selections of The Prince and The Courtier. Follow directions.  Test Tip. –The Prince is an often asked topic on the APEruo exam. You will want to be familiar with his cynical view of human nature and ruthless approach to leadership.

10. Italian Renaissance Art  Patrons –Artists were commissioned by the church, guilds and wealthy families –Art became a symbol of power – patrons used art to display their wealth and fame.  Characteristics of Ren. Art –Perspective  depth –Chairoscuro  Light and shade illusion –Pyramid style  Symmetry and balance-3D –Classical forms and Christian subjects  Tried to revive classical art, mixed classical with Christian subjects

11. Test Tip  You do not need to memorize a long list of Renaissance artists and works. Instead, focus on key masterpieces that illustrate Renaissance ideals and the impact of humanism.

12. Key examples  Leon Battista Alberti, The West Façade of Sant’ Andrea –Broke with medieval traditions, no statues –Roman triumphal arch/Corinthian pillars – a break with Christian churches, combining ancient forms with Christian uses.

13. Michelangelo, David  The pose resembles statues from Greece and Rome.  Like many classical statues, David is a nude. Not a serene statue, David is ready to face Goliath, note muscles are tense ready for battle.

14. Raphel, The School of Athens  Three dimensional space  Plato and Aristotle dominate the center  Used contemporaries –Leonardo da Vinci –himself

15. Women and the Renaissance  The debate about women –The Renaissance coincided with a debate about women (querelle des femmes) –Humanist scholars and others debated women’s character, nature and role in society  Christine De Pizan –1364-1430 –The first femenist –Prolific writer-first woman in European history to earn a living as a writer –Wrote a history of famous women to refute the masculine myth

16. Women cont.  Castiglione and the perfect women –Should be attractive –Well educated –Able to paint, dance and play a musical instrument –Was not to participate in political, artistic or literary affairs –Should be an attractive ornament for her husband  Isabella D’Este –1475-1539 –Most famous Renaissance women –From the ruling family Ferrara married the ruler of Mantua –An art patron, collected from the great artists –Becoming an art patron was most socially acceptable for a well educated Renaissance women