Early Renaissance“rebirth of learning”

**Copy everything without a red X

What was the Renaissance?

• Period following the middle ages (1450-1550)

• “Rebirth” of classical Greece and Rome

• Began in Italy• Moved to northern

Europe

Causes of the Renaissance

• Lessening of feudalism– Church disrespected (losses stronghold)– Nobility in chaos– Growth of Middle Class through trade

• Fall of Constantinople (to Turks)– Greek scholars fled to Italy

• Education• Nostalgia among the Italians to

recapture the glory of the Roman empire

The Silk Road Reopens• After Black Death

Europe begins to recover

• Mongols took over China in 1200s making the Silk Road safe again

• Marco Polo saw amazing things-paper money-helped trade

• Kublai Khan

By the 1300s four northern Italian cities had become trading centers

• Florence (cloth)• Milan (weapons and silk)• Venice Main port city (glass)• Genoa Main port cityMerchant ships brought luxuries from Asia to

these harbors—then traded with all of Europe

Some merchant families become incredibly wealthy and this wealth led to the Reinaissance!

Medici family of bankers in Florence were wealthy and gained political power.

Cosimo de/ Medici wanted Florence to be the most beautiful city in the world (also valued education).

The Renaissance was

born.

They studied poetry, history, art, and the Greek and Latin languages.

HumanismThis led to humanism, a way of thinking and

learning that stresses the importance of human abilities and actions.

• Pursuit of individualism– Recognition that humans are creative– Appreciation of art as a product of man

• Life could be enjoyable• Love of the classical past (works by

Greek thinkers)—many found in monasteries WHY?

Italian Background• Major city centers

– Venice: Republic ruled by oligarchy, Byzantine origins

– Milan: Visconti and Sforza families

– Florence (Tuscany): Republic ruled by the Medici

– Papal States: Ruled by the Pope—Vatican City