Download Italian Renaissance

Italian Renaissance
LT: I CAN IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RENAISSANCE AND
CONSIDER HOW SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS
DISTINGUISH THE RENAISSANCE FROM THE
MIDDLE AGES.
Essential Question: What are some
major characteristics/themes of the
Renaissance?
What do you know about the Renaissance?
 Make a KWL Chart in your journal that looks like this
 2-3 bullet points in the first two columns
What I know
What questions I
have
What I learned
When?
Renaissance: 1350-1650
Historical Timeline of Western History- NOTES
Ancient History
Beginning - Fall of the Roman Empire
Middle Ages
Fall of the Roman Empire - Renaissance
Modern History
Renaissance – Current Day
Remember…
Middle Ages – 500s-1400s
 A period of stagnation in Europe.
 Not much was changing, and not much was improving.
 Cause of stagnation?
 Social Stagnation: Feudalism –small, isolated communities.
Kings, lords, nobles, and peasants.

Trade Stagnation: tail end of the Silk Road.

Warfare: Many small invasions of neighboring communities.
Larger invasions at times. The Crusades (repeated many times)
Renaissance = Rebirth
 Renaissance is the French word for
"rebirth”
 Why would this time be thought of us a
rebirth?
Characteristics or themes that
distinguish the Renaissance from the
Middle Ages
Renaissance Characteristics
 Creative
 Complex
 Intellectual
 Stable
 Artistic
 Cultured
 Philosophical
 Adventurous
 Innovative
Where did the Renaissance begin?
 What’s different on this
map compared to a map
of Europe today?
As the Renaissance began Italy did not exist! There
were 5 major city states - centers of Italian political,
economic, & social life.
• Italian city-states
such as Milan,
Venice,
Florence,
Naples, and
Rome played a
crucial role in
Italian economics
and politics.
Why Italy?
1. Thriving Cities - NOTES
 Trade created by the
crusades led to growth
for Italian cities
 They are the easiest place
to share/spread ideas
2. Wealthy Merchant Class - NOTES
 Trade=wealth=rich
merchants=political
power
 Believed they deserved
power because of their
individual merit – not
who their ancestors were.
 Most famous – Medici
Family of Florence.


Bankers
Were the bank for the
Pope
3. Classical Heritage of the Greeks & Romans
 Learn from their
ancestors
The Renaissance
1350-1650
MEANS REBIRTH
STARTS IN NORTHERN
ITALY
SPREADS NORTH
Renaissance Values
1. Humanism - NOTES

Humanism- Humanism is a set ideas about how people should live and act. (philosophy)
Renaissance Values
2. Secularism (Worldly Pleasures) - NOTES
 Secularism: the belief
that religion should
have no part in
political or public
affairs
 Enjoy a good life
without offending
God
 Enjoy worldly
pleasures/luxuries

Fine food, fine clothes, fine
home
 Art had more
earthly subjects
Renaissance Values
3. Individualism - NOTES
 Individuals become more
important than churches,
guilds
 Patrons - The Church & the
wealthy ordered works of art
for churches, walls, buildings,
parks, homes
 Artists wanted to be
remembered- everyone did!
Biographies and portrait
painting
 emphasize the importance of
individuals

Why do we study the Renaissance? - NOTES
 Art & Architecture of the time still admired & copied




today.
People still argue about the best ways to get & keep
power –Machiavelli’s The Prince
Shakespeare’s plays are still as popular today as they
were when he wrote them
Mass production of books began during this time
Christianity changed radically - tensions between
many Christian groups that still exist today