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Renaissance Study Guide
1) Describe the meaning of the word secular as it applies to the Italian Renaissance.
2) How did Florence gain it’s wealth during the Renaissance?
3) When did the Renaissance spread from Italy to northern Europe?
4) What were the 3 main ideas of Lutheranism?
5) How did the Italian city-states become wealthy?
6) Describe the streets of Venice.
7) Who ruled the city of Florence during the Renaissance?
8) Define the term Renaissance and explain why Italy is given credit for the Renaissance.
9) Who was Leonardo da Vinci?
10) What is The Divine Comedy?
11) What were some of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s most famous works?
12) What was the goal of Desiderius Erasmus?
13) What happened when peasants revolted in the 1520s?
14) What did John Calvin teach?
15) Why did Protestantism succeed?
16) The Reformation begun by Martin Luther in 1517 changed the world forever. How did the
Reformation come about and what were the effects?
17) What did King Henry IV of France agree to do to remain in power?
18) What happened during the Spanish Inquisition?
19) Who was King Henry VIII?
Renaissance Study Guide
20) Describe the meaning of the word secular as it applies to the Italian Renaissance.
a. Secular refers to the fact that people were more interested in this world, the world
around them, that in religion and getting into heaven.
21) How did Florence gain it’s wealth during the Renaissance?
a. Through banking
22) When did the Renaissance spread from Italy to northern Europe?
a. During the late 1400s
23) What were the 3 main ideas of Lutheranism?
a. Faith in Jesus brings salvation, the Bible is the final source of truth about God, and the
church was made of all its believers.
24) How did the Italian city-states become wealthy?
a. Through trade
25) Describe the streets of Venice.
a. The streets of Venice were and are primarily canals and waterways.
26) Who ruled the city of Florence during the Renaissance?
a. The Medici family.
27) Define the term Renaissance and explain why Italy is given credit for the Renaissance.
a. Renaissance means “rebirth.” For two hundred years, beginning around 1350, there
was a rebirth of interest in art, learning, the importance of the individual, and
celebrating human achievement. Italy is given credit for their past, they strived to make
their own art as good as the Greek and Roman’s. Another reason for this rebirth is that
by the 1300s, Italy’s cities were becoming wealthy and could afford painters, sculptors,
and architects. The populations in the Italian city-states were mostly urban versus rural.
With more people living in the city, there was an increase in customers for artists.
Urban society also led to increased discussions and sharing of ideas about art.
Additionally, Italy was divided into many city-states. Cities like Florence, Venice, Milan,
Genoa, and Rome competed for fame.
28) Who was Leonardo da Vinci?
a. Da Vinci was a true Renaissance Man. He was a scientist and an artist. He studied
anatomy by dissecting corpses; studied fossils to learn about history; sketched ideas for
a glider, helicopter, parachute, tank, and scuba suit; painted great pieces like The Last
Supper and the Mona Lisa.
29) What is The Divine Comedy?
a. The Divine Comedy was a poem written in the vernacular during the early 1300s by
Dante Alighieri. It is about the journey from hell to heaven and described the
punishments for different sins in vivid detail.
30) What were some of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s most famous works?
a. David, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, La Pieta
31) What was the goal of Desiderius Erasmus?
a. He wanted to translate the Bible into the vernacular (everyday language) so that all
people would be able to read the Bible.
32) What happened when peasants revolted in the 1520s?
a. Peasants were inspired by the ideas of Martin Luther and revolted against the nobles.
They felt the nobles were too greedy. The nobles easily defeated the peasants, killing
thousands. Martin Luther criticized the nobles for their treatment of the peasants, but
stressed to the peasants that God created the government above them so they must
obey it.
33) What did John Calvin teach?
a. John Calvin taught the idea of predestination which means that God’s will is absolute
and decides everything in advance such as who will go to heaven and who will not.
34) Why did Protestantism succeed?
a. Protestantism succeeded because many rulers of smaller kingdoms recognized its
appeal from both a religious and political advantage and supported it.
35) The Reformation begun by Martin Luther in 1517 changed the world forever. How did the
Reformation come about and what were the effects?
a. Martin Luther only wanted to reform the Catholic Church when he publicly argued that
the pope could not decide what a person had to do to get into heaven. His challenge led
to the creation of many new churches throughout Europe. The new movement in
Christianity was called Protestantism. The Protestant Reformation broke up 1000 years
of European religious unity created by the Catholic Church.
36) What did King Henry IV of France agree to do to remain in power?
a. Henry IV agreed to convert to Catholicism to remain in power.
37) What happened during the Spanish Inquisition?
a. After Ferdinand and Isabella ordered all Jews and Muslims to convert to Catholicism the
created the Spanish Inquisition (a Catholic court) to investigate people’s beliefs and
charges of heresy. They used horrible tortures to force confessions of guilt. Eventually
2000 Spaniards were executed.
38) Who was King Henry VIII?
a. Henry VIII was a stubborn, impatient, and cruel English king. He was a member of the
Tudor family. He married 6 queens. He divorced 2 and beheaded 2. He kept trying to
have a son to succeed him in order to keep the Tudors on the throne. When he was
excommunicated from the Catholic Church he formed the Church of England and
declared that the king was the head of the church. He ordered all priests and bishops to
accept him as the new head of the church. Those who refused were killed.