Download The Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance
Quick Vocab Review

Renaissance: means “rebirth”
◦ Bringing back the classical world of the
Greeks and Romans
Characteristics of the Italian
Renaissance

Italy is made up of city-states
◦ These city-states were the center of the
Italian political, economic, and social worlds

These city-states are secular
◦ Many Italians began to enjoy day-to-day
activities and the benefits of strong trade and
industry
Characteristics of the Italian
Renaissance

Europe is recovering from disasters of the
14th century
◦ Who can think of some of them?
◦ Recovery and rebirth go hand in hand

Italian thinkers going back to their Roman
past
◦ Once again interested in the culture that
dominated the ancient Mediterranean world
 Started seeing humans in new ways
 Affected politics and art
Characteristics of the Italian
Renaissance

New Emphasis on the individual
and their abilities
◦ New social ideal: well-rounded personality, or
universal person
◦ The “Renaissance Man” – able to achieve
things in many different areas of life
I’m DaVinci… I am the ULTIMATE
Renaissance Man. I was skilled as a painter,
sculptor, architect, inventor, and
mathematician…
WINNING!
The Italian States

What is a city-state?
◦ Independent
governments that are
not unified or part of
a single entity

During the
Renaissance, Italy did
not form a
centralized
government
Who were the powerhouses?

Milan: Duomo Square

Venice

Florence
Why was it that the Italian cities
prospered?

Benefited from trade on the
Mediterranean as well as northern
Europe

Profited from the crusades—set up new
trading centers in eastern ports
Milan

Location is Key:
◦ On the crossroads of trade routes from
Italian coastal cities to the Alpine

Ruled by Visconti and Sforza families
◦ Created a strong central government
◦ Efficient tax system brought great revenues
Venice

Rich from trading in eastern
Mediterranean and northern Europe

Ran by merchant-aristocrats

Wealth gave the city international power
Florence

Led several successful military campaigns
to gain land and influence

Controlled by the Medici family
◦ They used power and wealth to control the
city through appointing favorites and
supporters
The Problem with being a “little guy”

France and Spain made Italy their battle
ground
◦ The Italian city-states weren’t powerful enough
to protect themselves from the French so they
appealed to the Spanish for help

Spanish leaders couldn’t pay their troops
so they said the soldiers could sack Rome
◦ Sack of Rome 1527—end of Renaissance
◦ Women raped, church officials sold as slaves,
churches and palaces robbed
Machiavelli
Diplomat in
Florence, forced
to exile
 Wrote “The
Prince”
 His views had a
profound
influence on later
political leaders

Social Classes of the Renaissance

Three classes (or ‘estates’)
◦ Clergy (those who prayed)
◦ Nobles (those who fought)
◦ Peasants/Townspeople (those who worked)
Nobility

Only 2-3% of the population
◦ Held important political posts and advised the
king

The Book of Courtier— Castiglione (1528)
◦ Nobles are born, not made; should have
character, grace, and talent
◦ Perfect noble must take part in military and have
a classical education
◦ Standards of conduct
◦ Goal is to serve prince effectively and honestly
Peasants and Townspeople

Made up 85-90% of the population
◦ Serfdom and manorialism in decline

Townspeople 12% population
◦ Artisans and merchants (middle-class)
◦ Patricians were at the top of society, ruling society,
politics, and the economics of their city-state
◦ Burghers—shopkeepers, artisans, guild members
◦ The destitute—poor and unemployed
◦ Poverty in the cities was on the rise
Family Structures

Parents carefully arranged marriages to
strengthen family and business ties
◦ Dowry: sum of $ paid by wife’s family to husband

Patriarchal society
◦ This means that ____________ are in charge…
◦ Father-husband managed all finances, made decisions
regarding children
◦ Children did not become adults until they were legally
freed by father in court
◦ Mother supervised the household