Download Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?

Aim #1: Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
The Renaissance Begins
The dawn of the Italian Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word
‘renaissance’ means re-birth. It was a period when people re-discovered learning and looked
back to the classical civilizations of Rome and Greece for their inspiration. It was an exciting
time of new inventions and amazing discoveries, magnificent buildings and beautiful art. People
were changing their attitudes towards themselves and the world around them. The development
of printing in Germany meant that this new Renaissance culture spread quickly throughout
Europe.
1. What was the Renaissance?
2. How might the Commercial Revolution and the emergence of guilds have led to
a new time period in Europe?
Why did the Renaissance begin in Italy?
Study the sources that follow to determine why the Renaissance
began in Italy
Source #1: Urban Centers
The Crusades sparked overseas trade
between Europe, the Islamic Empire,
Africa and other surrounding
civilizations. Surrounded by the
Mediterranean Sea, Italy prospered
from these trading networks. Large citystates or urban centers developed in
Italy. Manufacturing, banking, and trade
all brought wealth to these cities, while
the rest of Europe was mostly rural. As
cities prospered from trade, they also
attracted many scholars and artists.
Since cities are often places where
people exchange new ideas, Italy became an ideal breeding ground for an intellectual
revolution.
1. How did Italy’ geographic location contribute to its economic success?
2. Why are cities a good place for “an intellectual revolution”
Source #2: Classical Heritage
Returning to the time of the Greeks and Romans was easy in Italy because the ruins of
Ancient Rome literally surrounded the Italians, who still considered themselves
Romans. In addition, Latin manuscripts from Rome had been preserved in the Catholic
monasteries. Then, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, some
Byzantine scholars fled to Rome with Greek manuscripts, which Italian scholars had
assumed were lost forever.
3. How did people of the Renaissance learn about classical Greek and Rome? (Name 3
examples)
Source #3: Early Recovery from the Plague
The Italian Renaissance began in 1300, yet a cultural revival did not begin in Northern
Europe until the 1450’s. Northern Europe was 150 years behind Italy because the
population of Northern Europe was shattered by the bubonic plague and the Hundred
Years’ War between France and England. Italy’s quick recovery from the plague and
ideal location for trade allowed Italian merchants to become wealthy enough to
patronize (sponsor) artists.
4. Why was Italy able to enjoy a Renaissance more than 100 years before Northern
Europe?
Source #4: Merchants
Milan, Florence, and other Italian city-states each ran their own affairs and were often at
war with each other. Each city-state collected its own taxes and had its own army.
Because city-states were relatively small, a high percentage of citizens could be
intensely involved in political life, for example Florence had a representative democracy.
Merchants and bankers were the wealthiest, most powerful class, and therefore they
dominated politics.
Wealthy families competed for political power and for respect and admiration. To show
off their wealth they became patrons of the arts or financial supporters of artists and
sculptors. This great investment into the arts allowed Italy to have a cultural golden age,
despite its many wars.
5. Was Italy unified under one government during this time? Explain your answer.
6. What does it mean to be a “patron of the arts”? Why did Italian families spend
their money this way?
Source #5: The Medici Family
Florence came under the rule of one powerful banking family, the Medici. The Medici
created a partnership with another medieval power, the Catholic Church. The Church
collected a tithe or church tax from every Christian who had the means to pay. The tax
was 10% of your earnings and if you refused to pay, you could be excommunicated and
be destined to Hell. Now the Medici family managed the Church’s money. Members of
the Medici family would become generous patrons of the arts, rule the city of Florence,
and also become bishops and even the Pope.
Other wealthy families competed with the Medici family for wealth and power. In April of
1478, the Pazzi family staged a public assassination of Lorenzo and Giuliano on Easter
Sunday in a cathedral in Florence. Giuliano was stabbed to death, which Lorenzo
escaped. Lorenzo set out and had the assassins of his brother killed. He also threw a
conspiring Archbishop out the window with a rope around his neck. Giuliano’s
illegitimate son would later become Pope Clement VIII. He would be the second Medici
Pope.
How beautiful is youth that is always slipping away! Whoever wants to be happy, let him
be so: of tomorrow there’s no knowledge. –Lorenzo Medici
7. How did the Medici family become wealthy? How did the Medici family use their
wealth?
8. What were the advantages of their relationship with the Church?
9. To what extent was the Catholic Church involved in Italian politics?
10. Does this quote capture the feelings of the Renaissance? Why/why not?