The Renaissance

Chapter 5 Section 1

Italian Renaissance

• Renaissance means rebirth

• Italian Renaissance occurred between 1350 and 1550 AD.

• The rebirth was of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.

City States

• Italy of the Renaissance was largely an urban society.

• The powerful city-states of the Middle Ages became political, economic, social centers.

• A secular, or worldy, viewpoint developed in this urban society as wealth increased.

Leonardo da Vinci

Da Vinci: The Renaissance Man

• Well-rounded, universal people were capable of achievements in many areas of life.

• Da Vinci was a…• Painter• Sculptor• Architect• Inventor• Mathematician

Da Vinci continued…

Italian States

• Northern and Central Italian city states of Milan, Venice and Florence played crucial roles in the Italian politics of the time.

• Florence rose to be a major city-state thanks to the leadership of Cosimo de Medici in 1434 AD.

• Florence became the cultural center of Italy under the rule of the Medici Family.

The Italian States

• Milan – Francesco Sforza conquered the city with his mercenaries – soldiers for hire.

• Strong centralized state with an efficient tax system.

The Italian States

• Venice – link between Asia & Western Europe.

• Small group of wealthy merchants ran the city.

• It became an international power.

Map of Italy

Niccolo Machiavelli

Machiavelli and The Prince

• Machiavelli wrote The Prince which became one of the most influential works on political power in the Western World.

• The book stresses that “the end justifies the mean

Renaissance Society

• Nobles were expected to fulfill certain ideals. The Italian Baldassare Castiglione expressed these in The Book of the Courtier.

• Nobles were expected to have talent, character and grace.

• Nobles were to develop two skills: perform military/physical exercises and to gain classical education.

Baldassare Castiglione

Renaissance Society continued…

• Peasants made up 85% to 90% of the total European population (the low class).

• Townspeople (workers and the unemployed) made up the 2nd class.

• Less than 1% of the population were apart of the Noble Class.

Renaissance Society continued….

• To maintain the family, parents arranged marriages, often to strengthen family or business ties.

• The marriage was sealed with a dowry- a sum of money the bride’s family paid to the groom.

Review

• What were the key developments of the city states?

• What did the Medici Family do?

• Who was the Renaissance Man?

• What was the point of Machiavelli’s book The Prince?

• Who wrote on the Nobility’s traits and skills?