Download Renaissance Ch 1

The Renaissance
Chapter 1: A New Dawn
Vocabulary Words
Renaissance- French word for “rebirth”
rhetoric- the art of using words effectively in speaking or writing
patron- a wealthy person who supports an artist
humanists- scholars who studied the humanities (history, languages, and literature)
Chapter 1: A New Dawn
1. From 1350-1550, scholars began rediscovering the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and
Romans.
2. This period is known as the Renaissance because it was considered a rebirth of culture,
literature, and the arts.
3. The Renaissance began in Italy, and the centers of scholarly activity moved through the citystates of Florence, Rome, and Venice. It later spread to other places in Europe.
4. Scholars studied manuscripts about art, architecture, and literature, and soon, painters,
architects, and poets were beginning to use these ideas as models for new creations.
5. Renaissance artists shifted their focus from God and religion to humanity.
6. Many important historical figures lived during the Renaissance including William
Shakespeare, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Cervantes.
7. Historians believe the Renaissance began in Italy because it was once the center of the
Roman Empire, and because Italy’s central location in the Mediterranean Sea.
8. During this time, Italy was divided into 250 city-states, each with their own government. The
city states competed with each other for trading.
10. Merchants grew wealthy and used their money to support the arts. They became known as
patrons.
11. The printing press was invented in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg.
12. This invention made it possible to print many copies of manuscripts and spread knowledge
throughout the world.
The Renaissance
Chapter 2: From Artisan to Artist
Vocabulary Words
mason- a person who builds or works with brick or stone
apothecary- a druggist or pharmacist
portrait- a painting of a person
perspective- a technique that allows artists to show objects as they appear at various distances
from the viewer, with distant objects shown smaller and nearby objects larger
Chapter 2: From Artisan to Artist
1. In the Middle Ages, artists were not given a high status. They were considered merely
artisans or craftspersons and only made the work their employers paid them to produce.
2. During the Renaissance, artists began to gain more respect for their beautiful creations and to
charge large fees for their work.
3. Some artists like Lorenzo Ghiberti and Sandro Botticelli began to include self-portraits in
their work.
4. Renaissance artists and patrons were focused on themselves, their social standing, and their
special personalities which lead to an increase in portrait painting.
5. Artwork also became more realistic during the Renaissance. People wanted paintings to look
more like the world around them.
6. An artist named Brunelleschi rediscovered the technique of using perspective in artwork.
Many artists followed his example and created magnificent, realistic art.
7. Renaissance artists were able to move forward by looking backward.
The Renaissance
Chapter 3: The Cradle of the Renaissance
Vocabulary Words
Republic- a system of government in which voters elect officials to run the government and
make laws
Chapter 3: The Cradle of the Renaissance
1. The city of Florence was a center of trade and commerce because of its location near the
River Arno and the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Florence was at its height in 1472 and had a powerful merchant class which contributed to
the arts.
3. Much of the city’s wealth came from wool and banking. These influential merchants also ran
the government of Florence.
4. Florence was a republic, where the leading families elected government officials rather than
being ruled by a monarch such as a king. This idea of government also came from the ancient
Greeks and Romans.
5. The wealthiest and most powerful family in Florence was the Medici family. They began as
wool merchants and eventually became bankers.
6. Cosimo de’ Medici spent large amounts of money to purchase and copy ancient manuscripts
for his library. He also funded many architects, sculptors and painters including Brunelleschi.
7. One of Brunelleschi’s most important works is the impressive cathedral in Florence known as
the Duomo.
8. Construction of the cathedral began in 1294, and was not completed until 1436. In 1415,
Brunelleschi designed and built the dome for the church.
9. The large dome was built without any interior supports and is considered one of the greatest
engineering feats of the time.
10. Cosimo de’ Medici’s grandson, Lorenzo, eventually took over the Medici family and
became known as Lorenzo the Magificent.
The Renaissance
11. Lorenzo continued to make Florence the center of the Renaissance. After surviving an
assassination attempt, he surrounded himself with guards and took complete control of the
government.
12. For 12 years, Lorenzo successfully ruled Florence, but eventually, his fortunes decreased
and the city lost much of its power while the power of other cities grew.
The Renaissance
Chapter 4: Rome and the Renaissance Popes
Vocabulary Words
fresco-a painting made on fresh, moist plaster with color pigments that dissolved in water
basilica-a Christian church building, often in the shape of a cross
pope- leader of the Roman Catholic Church
the Vatican- the center of the Papal States
Chapter 4: Rome and the Renaissance Popes
1. During the Renaissance, the popes ruled one of the largest parts of Italy called the Papal
States.
2. They ruled from the Vatican, located in Rome, the center of the Papal States.
3. Pope Nicholas V is credited with bringing Renaissance thinking to Rome. He repaired
many buildings and bridges, and hired many artists.
4. Pope Sixtus IV improved Rome’s roads, added more than a thousand books to the
Vatican library, and built the Sistine Chapel.
5. Pope Julius II was a brilliant administrator and an effective military leader. He also hired
artists to improve the beauty of the church properties.
6. Among the artists he hired were Rafael, who painted frescos, and Michelangelo who
painted the Sistine Chapel and designed Pope Julius’s tomb.
7. In 1506, under Pope Julius II, workers began construction on St. Peter’s Basilica on the
site where it is believed St. Peter is buried. The church was not completed for 120 years.
8. Following Pope Julius II was Pope Leo X, Lorenzo de’ Medici’s son.
9. Leo continued to improve the beauty of Rome by hiring artists. After a time, Leo began
to raise taxes and borrow money for these improvements.
10.He said people who contributed money to the building of St. Peter’s would receive
special spiritual benefits and that God would forgive their previous misdeeds.
11.This practice led to the Protestant Reformation, which resulted in divisions in the
Christian Church.
The Renaissance
12. Clement VII was the last of the Renaissance popes. In 1527, enemies attacked Rome and
looted churches, and destroyed many manuscripts in the Vatican library.
13.Clement eventually made peace with his enemies, but Rome never reclaimed its position
as center of the Renaissance.
The Renaissance
Chapter 5: Venice: Jewel of the Adriatic
Vocabulary Words
lagoon- a shallow body of water, especially one separated from a larger body of water by a
sandbar or reef
galley- a large, flat-bottomed ship propelled by sails and oars and used in the Mediterranean for
trade and war
Chapter 5: Venice: A Jewel of the Adriatic
1. Venice was built on 117 small islands in northern Italy. It was the western world’s foremost
commercial city in 1500.
2. The islands are located in the middle of a lagoon, and they are divided by more than 150
canals and connected with over 400 bridges.
3. Venice had a strong navy which was the source of its considerable wealth.
4. For 200 years, Venice built a powerful trading empire by establishing ports and strongholds
along the Adriatic Sea, and by conquering mainland territories to the north.
5. Venice, like Florence, was a republic whose government was controlled by the city-state’s
leading families. The head of the government was called the doge. The republic was also
controlled by the Greater Council.
6. In addition to its artwork and architecture, Venice had more than 200 printing presses which
attracted many scholars to the city-state.
7. Venice’s greatest artist was a painter named Tiziano Vecelli, known as Titian.
8. Titian’s use of color and oil paints made his paintings appeal to the senses.
9. Venice began to lose power when the Muslim Turks gained control of the Mediterranean.
New sea routes in the Atlantic, discovered by the Portuguese, also turned trade away from
Venice.
The Renaissance
Chapter 6: Leonardo da Vinci
Vocabulary Words
apprentice- in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, someone who agreed to live with and
work for another for a specified period, in return for instruction in a trade or craft.
prior- the person, or officer in charge of a priory or monastery
Renaissance man- one who is highly skilled and has broad interests in many or all of the arts
and sciences
Chapter 6: Leonardo da Vinci
1. Leonardo da Vinci was a sculptor, painter, designer, scientist, and visionary.
2. He was born in 1452 near the village of Vinci, near Florence. When he was 15, his father
took him to Florence to be an apprentice to an artist.
3. Leonardo did not work as an apprentice for very long. His talents soon surpassed those of his
master.
4. When he was 30 years old, he worked for the duke of Milan as a military engineer, painter,
architect, and sculptor.
5. During his 17 years in Milan, Leonardo painted one of his most famous frescos, The Last
Supper, which showed Jesus sharing his final meal with his twelve apostles. Many people
consider this one of the greatest paintings of the Renaissance.
6. Among his many inventions, Leonardo designed a device for viewing solar eclipses, the first
parachute, musical instruments, and many flying machines.
7. Leonardo also spent many hours observing nature, and drawing and recording his findings in
many notebooks. He also studied mathematics because he believed it was a foundation of art.
8. After leaving Milan, Leonardo went back to Florence until 1506. During this time, he
completed his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. People appreciate this painting for its use
of light and shade, attention to detail, and the woman’s mysterious gaze and smile.
9. Later in his life, Leonardo became painter, engineer, and architect for the king of France. He
remained in France until his death in 1519.
10. Leonardo da Vinci is remembered today as a true Renaissance man of many talents.
The Renaissance
Chapter 7: Michelangelo
Vocabulary Words
quarry- to obtain stone from a pit or excavation by cutting, digging, or blasting it
Sistine Chapel- a small chapel in the Vatican connected to St. Peter’s Basilica
Chapter 7: Michelangelo
1. Michelangelo was a master of many artistic abilities including sculpting, painting, and
architecture.
2. Michelangelo was born near Florence 23 years after Leonardo da Vinci. He also apprenticed
in an artist’s workshop when he was a boy.
3. After one year as an apprentice, Michelangelo accepted an invitation from Lorenzo de’
Medici to join an academy he had founded. There Michelangelo studied the work of the Greeks
and Romans and learned the techniques for sculpting.
4. After Lorenzo died, Michelangelo moved to Rome where he created his first major work, a
sculpture of Mary holding the body of Jesus. This sculpture is called the Pietá. It was said to be
the most beautiful work of marble in all of Rome.
5. Michelangelo returned to Florence in 1501 where he created another masterpiece out of a
block of flawed marble, Michelangelo’s David. This work marked him as the greatest sculptor
of the age.
6. Four years later, he was summoned back to Rome by Pope Julius II to design a three-story
tomb in which he would be buried.
7. Pope Julius II also gave Michelangelo the task of painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,
his most famous work. He labored alone for four years under difficult conditions to complete
multiple frescoes in a space 118 feet long and 46 feet wide.
8. In 1517, Michelangelo returned to Florence and did some work for the Medici family
including designing the front of the family church, and the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano
Medici.
9. Later, Pope Clement asked him to return to Rome to paint the wall behind the altar in the
Sistine Chapel. This painting is called the Last Judgment. It took him five years to complete it.
10. When he was 71 years old, Pope Paul III appointed him chief architect of St. Peter’s
Basilica. He worked on the exterior and dome of the building.
The Renaissance
11. Michelangelo worked almost until the day he died in 1564. He was buried in Florence and
called his art his wife, and the works he left behind, his children.
The Renaissance
Chapter 8: Two “How-to” Men
Vocabulary Words
courtier- an attendant in the court of a ruler
diplomat- one who represents a government in its relationships with other governments
infallible- incapable of error; certain
political science- the study of political instructions and how they work
Machiavellian- a term used to describe a person who is crafty and less than honest
Chapter 8: Two “How-to” Men
1. In the Renaissance, many books were printed instructing people how to live and act.
2. One of the most popular books was The Book of Manners, published in 1558. This book
instructed the newly rich about behavior that would help them fit in to the next social class.
3. Other books were written to define the role of a gentleman. One of the most famous and
influential books was The Courtier, written by a soldier and diplomat named Baldassare
Castiglione.
4. According to the book, the perfect courtier should be of noble birth, handsome, graceful,
strong and courageous. He should also have a high opinion of his own worth and try to be seen.
5. Castiglione said that courtiers should also be educated and appreciate the arts.
6. Another popular writer of the time, Niccolo Machiavelli, wrote a book about how to be a
good ruler. This book was called The Prince.
7. Machiavelli worked in many different government positions in Florence from 1498-1512.
This allowed him to observe how government did and did not work.
8. Machiavelli was put in charge of the defense of Florence when it was attacked by the armies
of Pope Julius II, but he lost the battle and also his position in government.
9. He went into exile on a small farm outside Florence, and it was there he wrote his book
hoping to attract the attention of the Medici’s. He wanted to work for them again.
10. The Prince is considered the first book of political science. It said that rulers should be seen
as “merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, and religious,” but they should be “able to change to the
opposite qualities” when necessary.
The Renaissance
Chapter 9: The Renaissance in Northern Europe
Vocabulary Words
chateau- a French castle, or large country house; chateaux is the plural form
Chapter 9: The Renaissance in Northern Europe
1. Eventually, Renaissance ideas and values spread throughout Europe through printed books
and manuscripts as well as by artists and traders who visited other countries.
2. In the 1500s, the center of trade shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. This allowed
the countries of France, England, and Germany to support artists with their new wealth.
3. The greatest German painter of the time was Albrecht Dürer.
4. Dürer was very talented in the areas of woodcutting and engraving. Soon he visited Italy
where he learned how to become a painter.
5. After returning to Germany, he became a very popular painter. Two of his best paintings
were self-portraits.
6. In France, the royalty began purchasing Italian Renaissance artwork and hiring Italian
architects to design their chateaux. They were also greatly influenced by Castiglione’s book,
The Courtier.
7. In England, the Renaissance was embodied by writers rather than artists. Among them was
William Shakespeare. He is considered the greatest playwright of all time.
8.Shakespeare was born in 1564. Before he was 30 he became both a playwright and poet.
9.The Italian Renaissance greatly influenced his plays. Many of them take place in Italy such as:
Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice.
10. Shakespeare also wrote many plays set in Ancient Greece and Rome such as Julius Caesar
and Antony & Cleopatra.
11. In Spain, one of the greatest Renaissance artists was El Greco. He spent 12 years in Venice
learning to paint. Afterward, he traveled to Rome.
12. In Rome, El Greco began criticizing the work of Michelangelo, and lost much of his
popularity, so he returned to Toledo, Spain where he continued to paint.
The Renaissance
13. Spain also produced one of the greatest writers of the Renaissance. His name was Miguel de
Cervantes. His most famous work is the novel The History of Don Quixote de la Mancha.