Download Renaissance and Reformation 1350

Renaissance and
Reformation
1350 - 1600
Section 1
The Renaissance
Background
Beginning in Italy and spanning two
centuries, the Renaissance emphasized
secularism, awareness of ties to the ancient
Greek and Roman worlds, and the ability of
the individual. City states became centers
of political, economic, and social life.
Machiavelli influenced political thought, and
Castiglione defined what made a perfect
Renaissance noble. The Renaissance
affected everyone from noble to peasant
Renaissance Italy, 1500
Three citystates that
played
crucial roles
Milan,
Venice, and
Florence
Italian Renaissance
 Renaissance
means “rebirth”
 Belief in a rebirth of ancient Greece
and Roman worlds
Characteristics of Renaissance
Italy
Urban Society – powerful city states,
centers of political, economic, and social
life which created the emergence of
secular or worldly viewpoints.
 Age of recovery from plague, political
instability, and decline of Catholic church.
 Emphasized an individual’s ability and a
higher regard for human worth.
 A universal person would achieve things in
many areas (i.e. Leonardo da Vinci who
was a painter, sculpture, architect,
inventor, and mathematician.

Italian States



Lack of a single strong ruler made it
possible for a number of city-states
in northern and southern Italy to
remain independent
Three largest were Milan, Venice,
and Florence.
These three played a critical role in
Italian politics.
Milan
 Located
in northern Italy
 Ruled by the Visconti family and
Sforza dukes
 Based on trade and an efficient tax
system
Venice
 Located
in northern Italy
 Ruled by a small group of wealthy
merchant-aristocrats who ran
government for their own benefit
 Based on trade
Florence
 Cultural
center
 Ruled by the wealthy Medici family
Italian Wars
Growth of monarchies in rest of Europe
led to trouble for the Italian states.
 Wanted Italy for its rich resources.
 French King Charles VIII led an army of
30,000 men into Italy in 1494. Occupied
the kingdom of Naples, to the south. Italy
received help from Spain who fought with
the French for 30 years and eventually
won creating a dominate force in Italy.

“The Prince”
The Italians of the Renaissance had love of
political power. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote
one of the most influential works on political
power in the Western world, The Prince.


Book written by Machiavelli on how to acquire
and keep political power
Did not believe that the prince (or ruler) should
rule based on moral principles, but on the
principle that humans were self-centered and not
moral. Morality had nothing to do with politics
and a ruler must let his conscience sleep.
In the Middle Ages,
many writers on political
power had stressed the
moral side of a prince’s
activity – how the ruler
ought to behave based
on Christian principles.
Machiavelli rejected this
popular approach. From
Machiavelli’s point of
view, a prince’s attitude
toward power must be
based on an
understanding of human
nature, which he
believed was basically
self-centered. A prince
acts on behalf of the
state not morals.
Renaissance Society
Social Classes (Estates)
Nobility (3% of population)

Held political jobs, advised the king

Noble birth, have education, interest in the
arts, follow conduct rules
Peasants (90% of population)

Became free from serfdom
Townspeople (7% of population)

Patricians: wealthy top level

Burgher: Shopkeepers, artisans, guild masters.

Workers and unemployed: extremely poor,
lived miserable lives.
Renaissance Life
Nobility
Peasant
Market
Family and Marriage
Family bond was a great source of
security
 Marriage arranged to strengthen business
or family ties
 Father managed all finances, made all
decisions, absolute rule over children until
he died or freed them before a judge.
 Mother supervised household only, had no
say in children’s lives or any decisions

Summary Questions
Draw a line underneath your last notes and
answer the following questions. Review your
notes if you need help. Be prepared to be
called on.
1. The Renaissance was a “rebirth” of what?
2. What were the three largest city-states of the
Renaissance?
3. Who was the author of The Prince and what was
it’s main theme?
4. What were the three social classes or estates?