Download The Italian Renaissance, 1350

The Italian Renaissance,
1350-1600 C.E.
What was the Renaissance?
What was the Renaissance?
● What is a renaissance?
o Renaissance: “A situation or period of time when there is a new
interest in something that has not been popular in a long
time.”
o Renaissance: “A period of growth or activity.”
o Renaissance: “Rebirth”
● What was The Renaissance?
o “The period of European History between the 14th century and
17th centuries when there was a new interest in science and in
ancient art and literature especially in Italy.”
What was the Renaissance?
● The Renaissance was a period in European history that began in
approximately 1350 C.E. and lasted until 1600 C.E.
● During this time period, Europeans experienced a “profound cultural
awakening,” and rediscovered ancient Greek and Roman culture.
● Many historians consider the Renaissance to be the start of modern
times.
● The Renaissance changed the way educated Europeans viewed
themselves and the world around them.
What was the Renaissance?
● The birthplace of the Renaissance was the Italian city-states located on the
Italian Peninsula.
● Why Italy?
o Italian city-states served as the “gateway” of Mediterranean trade into
Europe. There was a huge demand for luxury goods and textiles, as well as a
constant stream of cultural diffusion between Italy and other civilizations.
o Italian city-states were attached to classical culture more than any other
European state. The ruins of ancient Rome were scattered throughout the
Italian Peninsula, and the Italian city-states were in constant contact with
the Byzantine Empire (the preservers of classical Greek culture).
What was the Renaissance?
What was the Renaissance?
● Humanism:
o During the Renaissance, Italian scholars studied the old classical Greek and
Latin manuscripts left behind by the Roman Empire and Ancient Greek citystates.
 In doing so, these scholars became fascinated with classical ideas
(Ancient Roman & Greek culture), and began to improve upon the works
of these past civilizations.
 This undertaking led to the development of a new intellectual movement
known as humanism.
 Humanism: A Renaissance movement based on the literature and ideas
of ancient Greece and Rome, such as the worth of each individual
(individualism). Humanism also focused on secular (non-religious)
themes rather than the religious themes that characterized medieval
Europe.
What was the Renaissance?
● Other Intellectual Movements of the Renaissance:
o
Individualism: An emphasis on the dignity and self-worth
of the individual person.
o
Human Improvement: The belief that human beings
should develop their talents through many activities,
including politics, sports, and the arts (music, painting,
sculpture, etc.).
Summary
● Who: ___________________________________
● What: __________________________________
● When: __________________________________
● Where: _________________________________
● How/Why?: ______________________________
__________________________________________
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Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● Education & Literature
o Renaissance scholars opened schools to help humans
improve themselves through education.
o These renaissance schools taught a new course of studies
known as the humanities.
 The humanities included Greek, Latin, history, and
philosophy (the subjects taught during the classical
period (ancient Greece and Rome)).
 For the first time, scholars replaced the clergy as
educators.
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● Education & Literature (Continued)
o Literature:
o For the first time, books were published in vernacular
languages, the languages spoken by the common people.
o Renaissance literature discussed secular (non-religious) and
humanist ideas - love, death, philosophy, history, etc.
o The most famous Renaissance work of literature was The
Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.
 The Prince was a handbook for Renaissance Era political
leaders. The handbook said that rulers should use “force
and dishonesty” to hold power.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● Humanist Scholarship:
o During the Renaissance, humanist scholars began to challenge long-held
“traditions, assumptions, and institutions.”
o The



institution that was challenged the most was the Roman Catholic Church.
People began to question the truth of Church teachings.
Humanist scholars also questioned the Pope’s supremacy over kings.
Secular (non-religious) kings and princes began to gain more power.
o These humanist scholars reawakened Europeans to classical (Greek and
Roman) learning, while encouraging the spread of new ideas among the
people of Europe.
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● European Society:
o The Renaissance officially ended the system of Feudalism in western
Europe.
o People lived and survived together in towns.
o Italy was never a unified kingdom during the Renaissance, but rather
a collection of city-states.
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● European Society:
o During the Renaissance, a new social order was created in Italy and
other western European states.
o The landed nobility were no longer the highest social class in Europe.
Instead, wealth and ability mattered more than land ownership or
aristocratic titles.
o The New Social Pyramid of the Renaissance:
 Wealthy merchants and bankers (Most powerful political and
social group)
 Shopkeepers and artisans (The middle class)
 Laborers (town dwellers; unskilled workers)
 Peasants (farmed the country estates of the upper class)
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● Italian Government During the Renaissance:
o Most Italian city-states were governed by a signori (single
political leader; dictator)
o These leaders were responsible for:
 Suppressing rebellions
 Improving city-services
 Supporting the arts
 Providing festivals and parades for the lower class (to
keep them happy)
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
Life in the Italian City-States During the
Renaissance
● Italian Government During the Renaissance: (continued)
o The Birth of Diplomacy:
 In an effort to avoid costly wars, the upper class political leaders
of the Italian city-states created diplomacy.
 Diplomacy is the process of maintaining good relations between
the governments of different countries (city-states).
 Each Italian city-state sent ambassadors (diplomats) to the courts
(government) of other city-states to resolve their differences
through negotiations.
Summary
● Who: ___________________________________
● What: __________________________________
● When: __________________________________
● Where: _________________________________
● How/Why?: ______________________________
__________________________________________
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Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
● Florence:
o Originally a republican government, however, Florence eventually
came under the control of the Medici family, who ruled the city-state
as signoris throughout the Renaissance.
o The Medici were an upper-class banking family.
o The Medici are considered by most historians to be the family that
created the Renaissance.
o Under their leadership, Florence became a center of humanism.
 Humanist scholarship
 Humanist artwork
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
● The Medici Family
o Cosimo de’ Medici:
 Gained control of Florence in 1434 C.E.
 Created an income tax to make city improvements.
 Established peaceful relations between the city-state and
neighboring city-states.
o Lorenzo de’ Medici “The Magnificent:”
 Ruled Florence from 1469-2492 C.E.
 Used the city-state’s tax revenue to support humanistic
endeavors, including the arts, philosophy, and literature.
 Sponsored public festivals.
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
● Rome (The Papal States):
o During the 1500s C.E., Rome emerged as the leading Renaissance city in Italy
(city-state: The Papal States).
o The wealthiest members of the Papal States were the Pope and Cardinals who
lived in Vatican City.
o The Renaissance popes sought to increase the prestige of the the Papal
States by using their wealth to sponsor humanist art and scholarship. They:
 Rebuilt the city of Rome.
 Architects built new churches and palaces.
 Artists created wonderful paintings and sculptures.
 Scholars came from all over the world to study classical manuscripts in
the Vatican Library.
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
●
Rome (The Papal States) (continued):
o The Government of the Papal States:
 During the Renaissance, the popes placed political goals ahead of their religious
beliefs.
● The Renaissance popes fought wars, collected taxes, sent ambassadors to other
city-states, and conquered parts of Italy.
● They were also patrons of the arts, they used their wealth to finance building
projects, artwork, and scholarship.
o The most famous Renaissance popes:
 Pope Alexander VI:
● Used his wealth to build an army that conquered central Italy.
 Julius II:
● Commissioned the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica (the largest church in the
Christian world).
● Commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
 Leo X:
● Continued to finance the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
The Italian Renaissance
● Venice:
o A trading capital of the world, linked Europe to the eastern world (Asia).
o Commerce:
 Known for shipbuilding and glass production.
o Government:
 A republican government headed by the elected doge.
●
The Council of Ten (The ten wealthiest members of Venetian
society), held the real power in Venice.
o The Arts:
 Artwork: The paintings of Titian, Tintoretto, and Giorgione are
celebrated by art historians.
 Architecture: Many architects, including Sansovino and Palladio created
Venetian buildings in the classical style.
Three Italian City-States
Three Italian City-States
Summary
● Who: ___________________________________
● What: __________________________________
● When: __________________________________
● Where: _________________________________
● How/Why?: ______________________________
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Renaissance Art
Renaissance Art
● Why is Renaissance artwork so important to world history?
o Renaissance art was defined by the intellectual movements of humanism
and individualism.
o The humanist belief of creating individual talent led artists to express their
own “values, emotions, and attitudes” in their artwork for the first time
since the classical age (ancient Greece and Rome).
o Renaissance art was secular (non-religious). Although religious themes were
still used in Renaissance art, artists were more concerned with creating nonreligious artwork.
o The focus on the individual. For the first time since the classical period,
artists painted and sculpted artwork that was “lifelike and captivating.”
Renaissance Art
● How did Renaissance artists create lifelike paintings and sculptures?
o For the first time in history, artists began to experiment with new
artistic ideals, including:
 Perspective, creating depth in their artwork.
 Human Anatomy: Studying the anatomy of the human being to
allow them to create lifelike sculptures and paintings.
 Including human expression and emotion in their artwork.
● During the Renaissance period, artists became celebrated and notable
members of society. Their artwork was displayed in the homes of Italian
nobles and townspeople, and churches.
Renaissance Art
● Renaissance Architecture:
o During the Middle Ages, medieval churches were characterized by
arches and spires.
o However, during the Renaissance, architects returned to building
structures in the classical style (ancient Greece & Rome).
 Renaissance buildings (churches, villas, and palaces) included
domes and columns, and the interiors were decorated with
tapestries, paintings, statues, fine furniture and glass windows.
o The most famous Renaissance architect:
 Filippo Brunelleschi: Designed and built the Cathedral of
Florence.
Renaissance Art
Renaissance Art
● Renaissance Sculpture:
o Like in architecture, Renaissance sculptors returned to the ideals of
the classical period (ancient Greece & Rome).
 They created bronze and marble sculptures that reflected the
artwork of ancient Rome and Greece.
 The Renaissance sculptures reflected a great understanding of
the human anatomy, as the sculptures looked lifelike and perfect.
o The most famous Renaissance sculptors:
 Michelangelo
 Donatello
 Ghiberti
Michelangelo - The Pieta
Donatello - St. George
Ghiberti - Gates of Paradise
Renaissance Art
●
Renaissance Painting:
o Renaissance artists created paintings that were characterized by realism, human
emotions, depth, and secular (non-religious) themes.
o Famous Renaissance Artists:
 Leonardo da Vinci:
● The Mona Lisa
● The Last Supper
● Had notebooks full of designs, including astronomical, mathematical, and
anatomical ideals, inventions, and theories.
 Michelangelo Buonarroti:
● Painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. His painting resembled his
sculptures, lifelike, and in perfect form.
 Raphael Santi
● Painted a series of classical and religious themes in the Papal apartments.
● Most famous painting was a depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
● “Noted for grace, harmony, and beauty.”
Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo - The Ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel
Raphael - Mary
Summary
● Who: ___________________________________
● What: __________________________________
● When: __________________________________
● Where: _________________________________
● How/Why?: ______________________________
__________________________________________
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