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Renaissance Notes Part 1
What conditions led to the start of the Renaissance in Italy?
The Plague (1350-1450)
The Bubonic Plague, or “The Black Plague” was a sickness that swept Europe and Asia
during the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Plague was spread through fleas found on rats that were traveling on the trade
ships from Asia to Europe
As much as 50% of Europe’s population was wiped out from the Plague.
The disease spread the quickest in cities because of their high populations, unsanitary
living conditions, and close living quarters.
Results of the Plague
The collapse of the Feudal System
Feudal System: A socio-economic hierarchical system seen in Medieval Europe:
The King
Lords
Knights
Serfs
Because the plague brought an increase in demand for labor, the feudal system
structure weakened and peasants were given better opportunities to cultivate their own
lands
A New Outlook on Life
After the immense death seen as a result of the plague, outlook on life changed. People
started to cherish their time of earth and “live in the moment”. This led to the
emergence of new philosophies on life.
Humanism- An intellectual movement that focused on human potential and
achievements. Humanists popularized the study of history, literature, and philosophy.
Secularism- worldly rather than spiritual, concerned with the here and now. This is a
contrast of the devout practices seen in Medieval Europe, where the main concern was
showing devotion of God by living a minimalist life. (non-materialistic and simple).
Classicism- looking to classic Greek and Roman texts, art, architecture and literature.
These was furthered by Latin scripts found in monasteries, Ancient Greek and Roman
ruins, and Roman and Greek manuscripts found by Christian scholars after
Constantinople was conquered in 1453.
Individualism- Focus shifted to the individual, who was encouraged to better oneself
through education, art, and literature.
The Renaissance Begins in Italy
The Renaissance: means “rebirth”. This is the name attributed to the time period lasting
from approximately 1300-1600. During this time there was a surge of creativity in art,
writing, and thought.
Why did the Renaissance start in Italy?
 Italy has a thriving cities
 a connection to ancient Greece and Rome
 a wealthy merchant class that was able to invest money in the arts
City-States: City-states in Italy grew largely due to a surge in trade after the Crusades.
These cities were ideal for the exchange of thoughts and ideas.
The Invention of the Printing Press
The printing press was created by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany in 1439.
The printing press was an important invention because it gave the masses access to
reading materials, and made the society more literate.
Texts like the bible and ancient Greek and Roman texts were also able to be printed in
the vernacular.
Vernacular- native language, or the language of the “common people”.
The masses were able to access works on literature translated into their respective
languages, giving them access to further knowledge.
The Rise of the Medici
Since the late 1200s, the city-state of Florence had a republican government. During the
Renaissance, however, Florence was ruled by the Medici Family
The Medici Family ruled the city-state of Florence. They were extremely wealthy,
earning their fortune through banking. They belonged to the merchant class. Merchants
were different than wealthy nobles because they did not inherit their wealth and status,
they worked to gain it through their businesses.
Cosimo de Medici took control of Florence’s government in 1434, influencing the
government by offering loans to the ruling council. He served as a dictator of Florence
for 30 years.
Cosimo was succeeded by his grandson, Lorenzo de Medici in 1469. Lorenzo became a
huge supporter of the arts and humanities. He commissioned artists to create work for
him, and did a lot to improve the infrastructure of Florence.
What is a Patron?
A Patron: Someone who offers financial support to artists, writers, or architects.
Sometimes they would even house them at court. They would also commission artists to
paint them portraits or complete public projects
Members of society who patronized the arts included:
The Church: The church commissioned artists and architects to create beautiful
buildings in Rome and elsewhere. An example of this type of patronage is the Sistine
Chapel, which was painted by artist Michelangelo
Wealthy Nobles, and Merchants: Wealthy families like the Medici, commissioned artists
to create beautiful pieces that they would donate to the city and display for the public
as a sign of their influence. Royals and wealthy members of society would also have
their portraits painted to send to potential suitors.
Individual Examples of Patrons:
Lorenzo de Medici: Was a huge supporter of the arts. He also collected pieces from the
classical period that he encouraged artists to use for inspiration. Michelangelo is one of
the artists that he commissioned artwork from.
Isabella D’este: An influential figure during the Renaissance. Isabella was married to
Francesco Il Gonzaga, the leader of Mantua, an Italian city-state. She even ruled the citystate for some time while he being held captive in Venice. She was a huge patron of the
arts. It has been speculated that she might have been the subject of Da Vinci’s Mona
Lisa based on correspondence she made with him at the time, and other renderings of
her portrait made by the artist.
Pope Julius II: Pope Julius commissioned artists like Michelangelo and Raphael to fill St.
Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican with beautiful artwork. He was the Pope that
commissioned Michelangelo to paint to ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Study Guide for Quiz 1 (25 points)This quiz will include multiple choice, matching, and short answer open ended questions. You
should be familiar with the following terms and know how they relate to the Renaissance
movement.
Vocabulary
Bubonic Plague or “Black Death”- How did it influence Europe? How did it contribute to ideas of
the Renaissance?
What were the 3 reasons why the Renaissance started in Italy?
Feudal system- What happened to it?
The “isms” and how they relate to the new mindset after the Plague
Humanism
Secularism
Classicism
Individualism
Renaissance- “rebirth”
City-state- Which city-state was ruled by the Medici Family?
Printing press- What did it do to further Renaissance movement?
Vernacular- what does this word mean and how does it relate to printing press?
Patron- what did patrons do?
Key Figures – You will want to know about each of these figures and what role they played in
Renaissance society
Cosimo Medici
Lorenzo Medici
Isabelle D’Este
Johannes Gutenberg
Pope Julius II