1. Renaissance Florence “What a happy age we live in!” -- Vasari

2. Self-awareness In 15 th c., Florentines felt as if living in new age – reborn Athens, Rome Artists not working in isolation, but celebrated

3. Part of constant city-state warfare Acquisition of port of Pisa, etc. allowed direct trade with Northern Euro, East Medit

4. Marriage among wealthy Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini, a baron's daughter and cardinal's niece, brings connections, class, and military muscle to the Medici dynasty.

5. Political and Econ Significance of Florence In 1400 one of few cities left wth republican gov’t (trend to one man or one family rule) Bruni – republican gov’t is better than monarchy because more people involved (  Cicero, Aristotle, history, human nature) center of Euro banking in the 15 th c., hub of international wool and cloth trade, main manufacturer of silk Medici back popes, become papal bank, collect money from every parish in Euro

6. Medici family powerful bankers Branches all over Euro Cosimo exiled in 1433, took money and Florence went into recession Cosimo returned, became “godfather” Family sponsored festivals, hired musicans Toppled by French in 1495, returned to power 1512

7. This is good for us Cosimo sponsored Brunelleschi, Donatello Brunelleschi inventor, architect, scientist, general contractor, researcher, revived classical forms – reason applied to art Donatello – first free-standing bronze statue Lorenzo sponsored Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo Galileo is teacher for Medicis

8. More Medicis Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici = Pope Leo X Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici = Pope Clement VII

9. But others hired artists too Other families for mausoleums, portraits Many guilds wanted statues University welcomed refugee scholars from east City hired humanists, granted tax exemptions For fame and immortality

10. Florentine breakthroughs Giotto abandoned flatness for depth Petrarch is first humanist Nudes in painting and sculpture (medieval no-no) Lots and lots of math (shapes, perspective) Classical topics Machiavelli – lessons w/o regard to morality of Bible

11. More! Alberti writes book on architecture Vasari writes first book on art history

12. Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Both painters, sculptors, observers of nature, engineers, poets

13. Pico della Mirandola

14. Constant conflicts within city Urban workers were exploited (serious riot at end of the 14th c.) Battles between families for power; Cosimo imprisoned, Lorenzo’s brother assassinated Massachio killed in street brawl