Chapter 15: The Renaissance

The Italian States

Renaissance Italy

The Major Italian States

• Economics and Politics– 5 major Italian regions: Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, and

Rome(Papal States)– Milan

• 14th century Visconti Family• Connected Alps to rest of the Italian trade cities• 1447: Francesco Sforza conquered Milan

– Did it for the money– Established a strong central government– Established a tax system for the government

The Major Italian Cities

• Venice– Served as the commercial link between Asia and Western

Europe– Established as a republic with a doge as its leader– Reality is that the aristocrats/wealthy merchants ran the

city– International power due to its large trading ports

The Major Italian Cities• Florence– Established as a republic in the Tuscany region– Started off as a small city but grew through military conquest– 1434: Cosimo de Medici

• Established the de Medici family as the leaders of Florence• Led Florence to become cultural center of Italy

– As cities gain more power, the Church loses power• Girolano Savonarola (Preacher)

– Spoke out against the corruption of the Medici family– Drove them to be exiled from Florence

The Major Italian Cities

• Papal States– Included Rome– Controlled by the Catholic Church

• Naples– Only major state that was a monarchy

• Conflict in Europe– Italian prosperity led to the French attacking the city states– 1494: took control of Naples– Italy called for help from Spain– 1527: Rome ransacked by all

Machiavelli’s The Prince

• Most influential work on politics of the time• Main idea: How does one gain and maintain power?• Set of rules as to how to govern• Morality is unrelated to politics• Must act on behalf of the state• Must be willing to do both good and evil

Renaissance Society

• 3 classes within society: Clergy, Nobility, Peasants• Nobility– Expected to live up to the standards of the Renaissance– Nobles were born not made– Required, character, grace, and talent– The aim was to serve the prince in an effective and honest

way– This made a perfect noble

Renaissance Society

• Peasants– Patricians

• Money from banking, trade, and industry

– Burghers• Shopkeepers, artisans, and guild masters

– Workers• Unskilled workers

– Unemployed

Family and Marriage

• Marriage– Arranged between family– Designed to strengthen families and business ties– Dowry was given by wife’s family for marriage

• Family– Husband/father was center of family– Absolute authority over all in family– Mother supervised household and children

Chapter 15: The Renaissance

Ideas and Art of the Renaissance

Italian Humanism

• What is Humanism?– Intellectual movement based on the study of the

humanities (grammar, history, philosophy, etc.)– Based on the study of Greek and Roman literature– Use of classical values to revitalize culture– Francesco Petrarch

• Father of Italian Renaissance humanism• Use of classical Latin• Establishment of libraries• Emphasized Cicero and Virgil

Life of Humanists

• To many, the humanist movement was to be a solitary movement

• No need for family• By 15th century, movement went into politics• In order to spread movement, vernacular language

used even though they pushed Latin only– Dante: The Divine Comedy written in Italian

• Soul’s journey to attain Paradise

Renaissance Education• Affected by the humanist movement• Less of a push for religion in education• Areas of study– History, grammar, public speaking, logic, poetry,

mathematics, music, and ethics• Wanted to produce individuals of virtue and wisdom• Wanted to create well-rounded citizens• Physical education important as well• Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized education and how

knowledge was passed into society

Italian Renaissance Art• Frescoes– Painting done on fresh wet plaster with water based paint– Tommaso di Giovanni (Masaccio)

• Started this period of art• The Tribute Money (Story of the life of Peter)

– Used perspective to create 3D images

Italian Renaissance Art

• Two Major Developments in Painting– 1. Importance of the technical aspect of painting

• Understanding perspective• Organization of outdoor space• Light through geometry

– 2. Investigation of movement and human anatomy• Realistic portrayals of individuals• Greater use of human nudes

Example: David (Michelangelo)

Renaissance Sculpture• Donatello– Studied Greek and Roman Statues– Free standing statues

Renaissance Architecture

• Inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Rome

• Brunelleschi– Classical columns– Rounded arches– Large exterior domes– Open airy spaces

Example-Church of San Lorenzo

The High Renaissance (1490-1520)

• Leonardo da Vinci– The “Renaissance man”– Artist, inventor, scientist– Master of realistic painting

• Mona Lisa

The High Renaissance (1490-1520)• Raphael Sanzio– Well known for madonnas (paintings of Mary)– School of Athens

• Balance, harmony, and order (what Greek and Roman art stood for)

The High Renaissance (1490-1520)• Michelangelo– The Sistine Chapel