Italy: Birthplace of the RenaissanceBy. Janine Hepler

Setting the Stage• During the late Middle Ages,

Europeans suffered from war & plague• Survivors wanted to enjoy life

• Began to question structures of medieval society

• Looked to the classical past for ideas

The Renaissance• Renaissance= rebirth

• Focused on art & learning

• Began in Northern Italy in 1300—later spread north

Why Italy?—3 Advantages

Urban Centers

• Large city-states• Sizable towns• Rest of Europe=

mostly rural• Urban centers=

exchange of new ideas

Merchants & the Medici

• Merchants= wealthiest, most powerful class

• Individual achievement

• Medici family supported the arts

Classical Heritage

• Looked down on art & literature of Middle Ages

• Took inspiration from Roman ruins

• Studied Latin & Greek manuscripts

Classical & Worldly Values• Scholars studied

ancient Greek works

• Became increasingly influenced by classical ideas

• Developed new outlook on life

Classics Lead to Humanism• Humanism: focused on

human potential & achievements

• Humanists influenced artists & architecture• Carried on Classical traditions

• Popularized subjects of history, literature, & philosophy humanities

Enjoyment of Worldly Pleasures

• Humanists suggested that people could enjoy life w/o offending God

• Enjoyed material luxuries, fine music, & tasty foods

• Secular: worldly & concerned w/ the here & now

Patrons of the Arts• Renaissance popes sought

pleasure & beautified Rome

• Renaissance merchants became generous patrons of the arts—demonstrated their own importance

• Patron: someone who provides financial support

The Renaissance Man• All educated people were

expected to create art

• The ideal individual sought to master all areas of study— “universal man”

• Charming, witty, & well-educated in the Classics—should have self-control

The Renaissance Woman• Upper-class women

should also know the classics & be charming

• Expected to inspire art rather than create it

• Had less influence than Medieval women had• Few exercised power

Renaissance Revolutionizes Art• Artistic styles changed

during the Renaissance

• Began to paint prominent citizens rather than strictly religious subjects

• Sculptors glorified the human body

New Artistic Techniques• Donatello made sculpture

more realistic• Carved natural postures• Statue of David

• Masaccio rediscovered the technique of perspective• Indicates 3 dimensions

Leonardo, Renaissance Man• Leonardo da Vinci

was a painter, sculptor, inventor, & scientist

• Deeply interested in how things worked—incorporated his findings into artistic sketches

• Painted the Mona Lisa & The Last Supper

Raphael Advances Realism• Learned from studying

the works of Michelangelo & Leonardo

• Portrayed expressions as gentle & calm

• Painted the School of Athens

Renaissance Writers Change Literature• Vernacular: native language• Dante wrote in Italian rather

than Latin

• Wrote for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their subjects

• Started trends that we still follow

Petrarch & Boccaccio

Francesco Petrarch• Early & influential

humanist

• Great poet—wrote in both Italian & Latin

• Wrote sonnets about a woman named Laura

Boccaccio• Italian writer

• Best known for the Decameron—series of realistic, off-color stories

• Presented humans & their follies w/sarcasm

Machiavelli Advises Rulers• Wrote The Prince—

examined the imperfect conduct of humans

• Believed people are selfish, fickle, & corrupt

• Wasn’t concerned with what was morally right, but what was politically effective

RENAISSANCE IN REVIEW

The Northern Renaissance

Setting the Stage• In the 1400s, northern

Europeans began to adopt the ideas of the Renaissance

• Ideas traveled to England, France, Germany, & Flanders• Scholars, students,

merchants

The Northern Renaissance Begins

• 1450: European population begins to recover from the bubonic plague

• 1453: Hundred Years’ War b/t France & England ends

• Cities grew rapidly

• Wealthy urban merchants began to sponsor artists

Monarchy & the N. Renaissance• Rulers often

sponsored the arts

• Purchased paintings, hired Italian artists & architects

• Played a major role in bringing styles to N. Europe Francis I of France

Character of the N. RenaissanceItalian Renaissance ideas mixed

with northern traditions

Humanists were more interested in religious ideas than in secular themes

Developed plans for social reform based on Christian values

Invasion of Northern Italy• 1494: French king

claimed the throne of Naples in southern Italy

• Italian writers & artists left for a safer life in northern Europe

German Painters

Albrecht Dürer• Studied in Italy• Produced influential

woodcuts & engravings• Portrayed religious

subjects, classical myths, & realistic landscapes

Hans Holbein the Younger• Inspired by Dürer’s

realism• Specialized in lifelike

portraits• Painted King Henry VIII of

England & the royal family

Self portrait Albrecht Dürer

Work of Hans Holbein

Flemish Painters• Flanders= artistic

center of N. Europe• Home to wealthy

merchant families

Jan van Eyck• Carried on tradition of

realism• Popularized oil-based

paintings

Peter Bruegel the Elder• Realist, very detailed• Portrayed proverbs,

everyday peasant life, & larger groups of people

Northern Writers• Writers adopted

the ideal of humanism

• Gave humanism a more religious slant

• Northern humanists are called Christian humanists

Desiderius Erasmus• Received honors from

princes, kings, & cardinals

• The Praise of Folly= most famous work

• Believed that to improve society, all people should study the Bible

Thomas More• Close friend of

Erasmus

• Concerned with society’s flaws

• Utopia= most famous work• Served as a model for

an ideal society

Francois Rabelais• French humanist

• Differed from Erasmus & More• Wrote in the vernacular• More secular• Believed people were

basically good

• Gargantua & Pantaruel= most famous work

William Shakespeare• English writer• Considered greatest

playwright of all time• Macbeth, King Lear,

Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, Romeo & Juliet

• Examined human flaws drew from the classics

The Elizabethan Age• AKA Renaissance in

England

Queen Elizabeth I• Well-educated (French,

Italian, Latin, & Greek)• Wrote poetry• Patronized artists &

writers

Printing Spreads Renaissance Ideas

• 1045: Movable type invented in China

• 1440: Johann Gutenberg reinvents movable type in Germany

• Later Gutenberg invented the printing press

Gutenberg Bible= 1st full-size book printed w/ movable type

Printing Spreads Learning• The printing press

revolutionized European society

• Books were cheap enough that many people could buy them

• New ideas spread more quickly

• Writing in the vernacular increased

• People began to read & interpret the Bible—became more critical

The Reformation

Important Terms• Predestination: One of the doctrines of Calvinism• Calvinism: Religion based on Calvin’s teachings,

adopted by reformers in France & other parts of Europe• Catholic Reformation: Movement within the Catholic

Church to reform itself, helped Catholics remain loyal during the 1500s• Jesuits: Members of the Society of Jesus who began

their work during the Reformation• Council of Trent: Meeting of leaders of the Catholic

Church that reached an agreement on several important doctrines as part of the Catholic Reformation

Calvinism

People are sinful by natureOnly the elect are savedDoctrine of Predestination: God has

always known who the elect areGovernment should be in the hands

of religious leadersMorality should be rigidly regulated

Presbyterianism

Based on Calvinist ideasEach community church was

governed by Presbyters

Anabaptism

Only adults could decide to be baptized

Church & state should be separateAnabaptists refused to fight in warsAnabaptists shared their possessions

Major Activities of the Jesuits

Founded & staffed schools throughout Europe

Sent out missionaries to convert non-Christians to Catholicism

Sought to stop Protestantism from spreading

Why were the effects of thee work of Jesuit missionaries so long lasting?They sent out missionaries to all the

continentsThey founded schools, colleges, &

universities worldwide

Roles in Reforming the Catholic Church

Pope Paul III• Had council of cardinals

investigate abuses w/ in the Church• Approved the Jesuit

Order• Used the Inquisition to

identify & punish heresy• Convened the Council of

Trent

Pope Paul IV• Carried out the Council

of Trent’s decrees• Drew up an index of

forbidden books• Collected offensive

books & had them burned

Important Effects of the ReformationReligion no longer united Europe—

Protestant churches flourished

The Church’s power declined—Kings & states gained power, creating nation-states

Church authority was questioned—began to reject Christian beliefs