Download Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance I. Italy`s Advantages A. Time

Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance
I. Italy’s Advantages
A. Time period 1300-1600’s A.D.
1. Began in Northern Italy then spread through the rest of
Europe
2. 3 reasons: Thriving cities, wealthy merchant class, and
Greek and Roman heritage
B. City-States
1. Italy’s cities
were the
original urban
cities.
2. This was a
result of the
Crusades
where
merchants
made lots of
money
C. Merchants and the Medici
1. Merchants became wealthy which enhanced their
political power
2. Medici family became the most powerful banking family
in Florence
D. Looking to Greece and Rome
1. Renaissance scholars returned to the learning from the
old Greek and Roman manuscripts
2. As they did this they rejected the old Middle Ages
philosophy of suffering
II. Classical and Worldly Values
A. Classics Lead to Humanism
1. An intellectual movement focused on human potential
and achievements
2. Popularized the subjects of history, literature, and
philosophy which are called the humanities
B. Worldly Pleasures
1. Prior to the Renaissance people lived to suffer
2. The Renaissance taught people that you could enjoy life
without offending God
3. Became more “secular” meaning more worldly and less
religious
C. Patrons of the Arts
1. Church leaders began to beautify Rome and other cities
with the arts
2. They became “patrons” of the arts: Financially supporting
artists
D. The Renaissance Man
1. A man who excelled in many fields was praised as a
“universal man”
2. He could do anything and strive to do everything
E. The Renaissance Woman
1. Should know the classics and be charming
2. Should inspire art but rarely create it
III. The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art
1. Renaissance painters used the technique of perspective
which shows three dimensions on a flat surface
A. Realistic Painting and Sculpture
1. Artists such as Michelangelo and Donatello created realistic
sculptures and paintings
B. Leonardo, Renaissance Man
1. Painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist
2. Known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper
C. Raphael Advances Realism
1. His favorite subject was the Madonna and child
2. Learned his style by studying Michelangelo and Leonardo
Anguissola and Gentileschi
1. Two famous female Renaissance artist who expressed
emotions in their writing
IV. Renaissance Writers Change Literature
A. Petrarch and Boccaccio
1. Petrarch was one of the earliest humanists called the father
of the Renaissance
2. Vernacular means to write in one’s own language
A. Petrarch and Boccaccio
3. Wrote sonnets in Italian and Latin Languages
4. Boccacio is most famous for writing the Decameron
B. Machiavelli Advises Rulers
1. Wrote the famous book for rulers called The Prince
2. Began with the idea that people are selfish, fickle, and
corrupt
3. As a result the ruler needed to rule with absolute power and
not concern themselves with what is morally correct but
with political effectiveness
B. Machiavelli Advises Rulers
4. Leaders must sometimes mislead his people and lie to his
opponents in order to maintain power.
5. It is better to be feared than to be loved
C. Vittoria Colonna
1. A female writer who gained influence with her writings and
poetry