THE RENAISSANCE

CHAPTER 2

WHAT IS THE RENAISSANCE?

Period of “rebirth” between 1350 and 1600; Those in this period attempted to bring back the ideals of

the classical period – Greeks and Roman; They held a rejection of the Medieval period that came

before them; Secular thinkers – valued worldly information, expanded

knowledge and human potential were main ideas; This period was a transformation of the individual’s view of

religion, art and learning;

WHERE DID IT ORIGINATE?

The growth of the Italian city-states in the late medieval period began the development of new ideals and attitudes;

Italy was a major economic and international trade region;

Shipbuilding and navigation increased their ability to expand trade;

Development of business elements such as bookkeeping, credit and market development put them well ahead of other nations;

Became a major and influential banking center for Europe and Western Asian trade;

ITALIAN CITY-STATES City-states were political developments that were

self-governed, usually by the local merchant classes; The older feudal nobility had already been in decline

in their power over the people; Many challenged the role of the papacy in

international and religious affairs; The new states were originally established as

republics (no monarch), but became run by despots (individual rulers) or oligarchies (small ruling class);

This also led to the development of modern diplomatic organization between the city-states;

ITALIAN CITY-STATES

As warfare was not unusual between the city-states, diplomats were established between city-states, using ambassadors;

Through this process there was a balance-of-power established to prevent one city-state from becoming more powerful than any other;

The city of Florence became an important economic and cultural center between the 13th and 15th century – establihsing the Medici family as a major political and economic force;

INFLUENTIAL ITALIANS

Cosimo de Medici the Elder Palazzo Medici in Florence

HUMANISM Indicator of the separation between the earlier

Medieval period and the new thought of the Renaissance;

Humanism is a philosophy concerned with the human being – their nature and development trying to improve the secular world;

Based on the revival of classical ideals instead of through a religious outlook;

Stressed living in the present world and being a responsible citizen;

Valued knowledge for knowledge sake and as a guide to personal conduct;

HUMANISM The humanists did not reject Christianity or its

teachings about mankind, but they did combine those beliefs with new questions about humanity;

The influence of Roman and Greek ideals of humanity heavily featured in the ‘new’ secular thought;

Focus on men who accomplished a variety of goals in many areas, excelled in their own right and desired more than the ordinary - thus a “Renaissance man;”

Such were the philosophers of the time – Francesco Petrarch; Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli;

RENAISSANCE MEN

Leonardo da Vinci

Francesco Petrarch

Niccolo Machiavelli

HUMANISM Stressed education at an early age in order to help

change the course of their lives and develop appropriate sense of reason and moral values;

This type of teaching was also a means to train individuals to be responsible citizens as well as moral;

Development in the service and loyalty to the city-state was just as important to individual success;

Many of the leaders of the Renaissance were patrons of the arts – architecture, sculpture and painting – that reflected the new ideals of man in the world;

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

The Papacy was a major contributor to the development of Renaissance art in the churches and cathedrals of Rome;

Pope Julius II began the construction on the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome, which would become one of the best examples of Renaissance art and architecture;

It was also meant to be a reflection of the supremacy of the Church in society;

ST. PETER’S ST. PETER'S BASILICA

Pope Julius II was a great patron of Renaissance art – commission Michelangelo and Raphael to complete various paintings for the Vatican; also commissioned the construction of the new St. Peter’s Basilica

RENAISSANCE PRINCES Niccolo Machiavelli was a political philosopher and

humanist whose best known for his treatise (discussion of a topic in essay form) called The Prince (1513);

This became an important explanation of how Renaissance leaders should act regarding the ruling of their nation-state;

They had to be politically aware, historically well-versed and a strong ruler;

Not only was this a treatise on the leadership needed in the new times, but also as a discussion of the importance of the modern nation-state as a secular institution;

RENAISSANCE ART The art from the preceding Medieval time period

was a reflection of religious life and the after life; It was heavily influenced by the Church and the

rise of Christianity; Renaissance art was more focused on nature and

mankind – it was a reflection of the classical period of Roman art;

The focus was on the natural human form – Donatello and Michelangelo's David; both depict David from Biblical references, although in different times in David’s existence, and both have more civic meanings – rather than religious;

RENAISSANCE ARTISTS Artists at this time achieved a high degree of

respectability as they were commissioned by the Church and the wealthy in society;

The focus on mankind meant the topics of artistic impression could focus on families or saints;

Many themes were from the classical Roman or Greek literature and mythology;

At the same time, the works were meant to inspire civic duty of the viewer and represent the values of the city-state;

Many kept the religious theme as they demonstrated the special relationship between God and man;

ART

ART

RENAISSANCE FAMILY AND SOCIETY Shift in the relationship of family members and

the ideas of property; Move from the communal family (extended

family unit with shared responsibilities) to the nuclear family (only parents and children);

The humanist approach focused on the relationship between parents and children rather than ties to one’s ancestral heritage as a single definer;

The ideas of marriage even changed as the relationship became more personal rather than a connection between families;

RENAISSANCE FAMILY AND SOCIETY More was written to educate children -

especially boys in the means by which a Renaissance gentleman was to act;

Boys should be taught the classics, literature, history, ethics and rhetoric (debate skills), in order to develop as a vital citizen;

Upper class women became educated, but they were still subject to the patriarchal system (male-dominated society);

As a result of the change to the nuclear family, the influence of women over the household grew as they could influence the child rearing;

RENAISSANCE FAMILY AND SOCIETY The growth of the urban culture in Western Europe

in the early Renaissance dictated a different economic and social structure;

The influence of the Black Death (plague that overcame Europe and destroyed 30% to 60% of the population in the mid 1300s) meant that the relationship between the workers (serfs) and the landowners (nobles) changed dramatically;

There was an increase in practices of slavery as a workforce up until the 1500s;

Many were from African societies, either as prisoners of war, or being bought and sold by Portuguese explorers;

NORTHERN RENAISSANCE Development of Christian Humanism (early,

simplistic version of Christianity – combination of Christianity and classical thought);

Apply reason to the secular and religious texts in order to better understand the role of religion in the life of men;

Very influential in the reform of religion in Europe – but did not break with the Catholic Church;

Authors were pious (devoted to religious thought) and challenged institutions that prevented the individual from achieving his God-given potential;

CHRISTIAN HUMANISTS

Sir Thomas More - Utopia Desiderius Erasmus – In Praise of Folly

CENTRALIZED STATES As the strong rulers and Christian spread across

Europe a new type of state was emerging; Individual city-states were being combined by

ambitious and strong central leaders; Feudal nobility were losing influence as the

merchant and business classes combined with the developing monarchs to gain control of city-states;

By the beginning of the 16th century there were already strong central monarchies in England, France and Spain – these would become important in the political developments in the following centuries;

NORTHERN MONARCHIES

Henry VII (Tudor) (England)

Louis XII (France)Charles V (Spain)

RENAISSANCE REVIEW Secularism, civic duty, importance of the middle

classes, pursuit of knowledge, centralization of state power;

Value of the classics and less value placed on the history of the Middle Ages – except as a tool of learning in order to not repeat errors of the past;

Spread of ideas through publications in print – the creation of moveable type by Johann Gutenberg in 1456 changed society; distribution of knowledge among the masses was a vital feature of this era;

The influence of this one invention would stretch through the next 500 years changing ever aspect of life;