The Renaissa

nce 1300s-1600s

6-6.1 &2: Summarize the importance of the Italian Renaissance, including the

importance of Florence, the influence of humanism and the accomplishments of the

Italians in art, music, literature, and architecture &

Identify key figures of the Renaissance and their contributions- Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo, and Johannes Gutenberg

The Origins of the Renaissance

•Renaissance means “rebirth”

•Rebirth of Greek & Roman ideals and rebirth of Europe after the devastation of the Middle Ages

•Began in the Italian city-state of Florence

• Location played key role in making them centers of trade & banking

Medici Family- Florence, Italy

•Considered the Godfather’s of the Renaissance

•Wealthy family from Florence, Italy

•Paid artist & architects to create new buildings

& works of art throughout the region

•Artists inspired by Greek & Roman works

Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence

Video: 4 min

Emergence of the Middle Class•Business & trade increased along Europe’s rivers- Danube,

Rhone, & Rhine rivers

•Growing economy improved the quality of life for many in these areas

•A new class of people emerged from the surge in the economy- a middle class

• The Middle Class earned moderate profits from their businesses which led to them having leisure time, reading, & lived in the towns

Characteristics of Renaissance ClassesUpper Class Middle Class Lower Class

• Wealthy • Moderate income

• Poor

Create an organizer chart like the one above.Continue adding to the chart by answering each question for all three classes:1. Where did they live/ what were their living conditions?2. How did they make their money?3. How did they impact the local economy?

Political Changes & the Rise of LearningMiddle Ages Renaissance

Royalty & noble landowners held all the power in the land

Only those of nobility or those undertaking a religious life could read

Europe was one of the poorest & ignorant lands

Trade made merchants, traders, & artisans wealthy & power began to shift to them

Universities opened where people could study mathematics, sciences, & philosophy

Became to wealthiest & most sophisticated region in the world

Writing Activity

•Directions: Write a paragraph answering the following prompt:

What are some conditions that led to the birth of the Renaissance in Italy? Provide examples as evidence to support your statement.

Lesson Practice

1. What was one of the goals of the Crusades?

A.to stop the spread of IslamB. to bring goods and services to poorer

areasC. to increase tradeD.to learn about other religions

Lesson Practice2. What was one of the economic changes that helped the Renaissance grow?

A. The middle class began to decline.B. The upper class began to lose control of the

wealthC. The middle class began to emerge and gain

powerD. There was no real economic change during

the Renaissance

Lesson Practice3. Why was the printing press so important to the Renaissance ?

A. Books became too expensive for the average European.

B. Books became affordable and available to the average European.

C. It made Germany wealthy.D. The Church could control what every European

could read.

Lesson Practice4. How did the culture of Southwest Asia influence European life during the Crusades?

A. Through their fighting methodsB. Through contact with each otherC. Through disease prevention.D. Through Greek and Roman art

The Italian RenaissanceTwo characteristics of Italian Renaissance Art:

1. Greek & Roman inspiration

2. Ideals of humanism

Florence, the Birthplace of the Renaissance•Began in Florence and spread

north to the rest of Europe

• Florence had banks, trading centers, & manufacturing

•Merchants became the new class of aristocrats

• Education & the arts became ways of showing wealth & had high importance

Italian Painting & Drawing•During the Middle Ages, most art

was religious

•During the Renaissance-wealthy patrons commissioned artwork to show their wealth

• Subject matter expanded to include historic events & portraits of the patrons

• Sought to make their art realistic, like Roman art

Renaissance Artist Techniques•Artist used live models in

attempt to make life-like art

• Sculptures use a technique called contrapposto (the stance of the sculpture had the head and shoulders face a different direction than the hips)

•Artists used chiaroscuro (using light & shadow) to give perspective to the form

Italian Architecture • They did not like the

Gothic style buildings of the Middle Ages

• They studied Greek & Roman designs using columns, arches, & domes

Video: 8:25

Leonardo de Vinci• Italian painter, sculptor,

architect, inventor, mathematician, & man of many talents- what is called today “Renaissance Man”•Considered the greatest

artist of his time•Most famous piece-

“The Mona Lisa”Video: De Vinci Bio- 5:01

Michelangelo•Renaissance artist known

for:

•Painted frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in St. Peter’s Cathedral• The most famous segment is

known as “Creation of Adam”

• Sculpted the statue of David and The Pieta

Video: 5:01

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling Overview

Italian Music•During the Middle Ages, music was

played mainly for religious purposes- very monotone and chant-like•Renaissance music was played for

the aristocrats as entertainment•Music became freer & more

expressive, & featured melodies, rhythms, and vocals•Many instrument were invented

during this time period: Ex- violin

Video: Renaissance music: 5min

Italian Literature• Two Italian authors are seen as the fathers of the

Renaissance:• Francesco Petrarch: scholar, poet, & humanist• Dante Allegheri: The Divine Comedy is seen as

the greatest literary work of the late Middle Ages

•Many books were written on how to act- the most widely read was The Book of the Courtier

•The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli told how to get power & keep power; even if it means being untrustworthy

Johannes Gutenberg’s Printing Press•A German inventor who became famous for his

creation of a type of printing press in 1448

•Printing method using movable type-revolutionized printing

•Until his invention, books had to be copied by hand

•He was the first to print the Bible on a printing press

• Led to an explosion of information exchange

•Average people were finally able to read and engage in debate

Try It! Writing ActivityWhat was the connection between economic wealth and artistic growth during the Renaissance?

Video: 1:34

The Role of Humanism•During the Middle Ages & Renaissance,

European interest in Greek & Roman philosophy led to a new kind of thinking and learning:

•Humanism: Intellectual movement focused on the importance of human virtue, beauty, & the accomplishments & potential of humanity• Taught people to have faith in themselves as an

individual & society as a whole &…• Trust their ability to determine right from wrong

Effect of Humanism on Education•1400s: idea of

teaching the “whole student” through physical and intellectual education

•More importance was placed on philosophy, history, and literature in higher education

Education Cont.• Educated people tried to persuade others by writing

and speaking: called “the art of rhetoric”

• Studying grammar (proper use of language) lead to better understanding of what they were reading which resulted in better writers & speakers

Education Cont.•Realized the study of

history could help them understand the problems of the past & help them avoid problems in the future.

• The study of philosophy and literature helped them understand the viewpoints of others so they could improve their own lives

Effect of Humanism on Religion•A Humanist, Desiderius

Erasmus, studied the original Greek New Testament Bible & found many mistakes in the Church’s Latin translation

•He retranslated the Greek text to Latin correcting the mistakes

Religion Cont.•His translation was then

translated into many other languages which lead people to form their own ideas about how Christians were supposed to practice their religion

•Resulted in people challenging the Catholic Church & branching off to create their own denominations

Religion Cont.•Humanist still

believed in Christianity

• They preserved its traditions by studying the works of the Greeks & Romans to gain a more accurate picture of the world Jesus lived in

Effect of Humanism on Art•Artists were supported by

noblemen, popes, and merchants

•Wanted to show things in their natural state

•Humanism changed the way artists looked at the world around them

•Realism

Effect of Humanism on Government• The Church had been the main

political power in Europe and the spiritual leader of the people

•As humanists studied the Catholic Church’s documents they began to question the pope’s authority to rule the land

• They wanted to separate the Church from the government: freedom of religious thought and free thinking

Video: The Prince

Writing Activity

•Directions: Write a paragraph answering the following prompt:

What effect did humanism and ancient Greek and Roman learning have on the Renaissance? Give examples to support your statement.

Lasting Impact of the Renaissance

• Transition to city states in areas that once had no organized government

•Determined the main goal of government was to maintain peace and security

Advancements in Technology• The printing press allowed the

average person to exchange and learn new information•Government spread

propaganda•Books were printed in many

languages• Lead to the Age of Discovery•Printed Bible pushed the way

for the Protestant Reformation

Advancements in Astronomy•Copernicus found that the planets

were on orbit around the sun-contradicting the Church’s stance that the Earth was the center of the universe

•Galileo was he first to use the telescope to study astronomy

• Isaac Newton developed the Laws of Motion & universal gravitation

•All part of the scientific revolution

Galileo Galilei vs Isaac Newton video: 6:02

Advancements in the Study of Anatomy• The church would not allow

people to study the body by using cadavers• Leonardo da Vinci ignored the

rules and studied the body through dissection•Create accurate artistic

drawings of the human body•He used the scientific method

to study the structures of the human body