The Renaissance

1. The Renaissance The Humanists

2. What was the Renaissance? • Began in Northern Italy • Italian Cities • Urban Societies • Major Trading Centers • Secular • Moved away from life in the church • Focuses more on material objects and enjoying life

3. Was it a Renaissance? • First called the Renaissance by nineteenth-century Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt – his ideas went unchallenged until the late 20th century • Some historians now question the significance and existence of the Renaissance • Social history: The Renaissance only occurred among the elite – it did not affect the lives of ordinary people • Women’s history: The Renaissance was a time of declining freedom for women • Progressive history: Some historians argue that the era represented nothing more than a culmination of trends that had been unfolding throughout the medieval period

4. Changes in Society • 1300, Black Death, starvation, warfare had overtaken Europe • Catastrophic events, enormous loss of life may have led to changes of the 1300s • Decrease in population led to: • Increase in food production • Decline in food prices • More money to spend • Specialization in products

5. Influence of the Crusades • Increased demand for Middle Eastern products • Stimulated production of goods to trade in Middle Eastern markets • Encouraged the use of credit and banking • Church rule against usury and the banks’ practice of charging interest helped to secularize northern Italy • Letters of credit served to expand the supply of money and expedite trade. • New accounting and bookkeeping practices (using Arabic numerals) were introduced

6. Major Italian Cities • Italy failed to become united during the Middle Ages. • Many independent city-states emerged in northern and central Italy that played an important role in Italian politics and art • Milan – one of the richest cities, controlled trade through the Alps • Genoa – Important and wealthy trade port on the Mediterranean • Venice – a centre of trade between the Middle-East, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe • Florence – Controlled by the powerful banking family the Medici who became great patrons of the arts

7. Major Italian Cities • All of these cities: • Had access to trade routes connecting Europe with Middle Eastern markets • Served as trading centres for the distribution of goods to northern Europe • Were initially independent city-states governed as republics

8. Economy • Banking was a major source of power and income, and the Florentine gold coin, the florin was so reliable that it was the standard coinage in Europe • Much of Florence's wealth was dependent on the manufacture and trade of cloth, primarily wool. The Florin

9. Economic Recovery • After the upheavals of the Late Middle Ages the European economy recovered rapidly • The centre of this economic recovery was Northern Italy where industries flourished • New developments in mining and printing were two such industries • Banking became a powerful new source of revenue for those families that took risks • The Medici family of Florence would become some of the wealthiest bankers and Florence benefited greatly

10. Renaissance Economics • Profit-making became more important than church doctrine • To overcome guilt, profit-makers indulge in philanthropy • Influence of guilds declining • High profits led to economic diversification

11. Renaissance Economics • “Cottage Industry” • Art became the way to advertise economic success • Intensified commercial competition created need to be efficient

12. Renaissance Ideas • As the economy and society changed, new ideas began to appear • This period of interest and developments in art, literature, science and learning is known as the Renaissance – French for “rebirth”

13. Renaissance Ideas Inspiration from the Ancients • Venetian ships carried goods for trade and Greek scholars seeking refuge • Scholars brought ancient works thought to be lost

14. Renaissance Ideas New World Ideas • Italians who could read looked for more information • Read Arabic translations of original texts • Searched libraries, found lost texts

15. Renaissance Ideas Different Viewpoints • As they read, they began to think about philosophy, art, and science in different ways • Began to believe in human capacity to create, achieve

16. Causes of the Renaissance • Increased trade with Asia and other regions as a result of the Crusades • Growth of large, wealthy city-states in Italy • Renewed interest in classical learning of ancient Greece and Rome • Rise of rich and powerful merchants, who became patrons of the arts • Increased desire for scientific and technical knowledge • Desire to beautify cities

17. Objectives • During the Middle Ages: • Find God • Prove pre-conceived ideas • During the Renaissance • Find Man • Promote learning

18. "The Renaissance gave birth to the modern era, in that it was in this era that human beings first began to think of themselves as individuals. In the early Middle Ages, people had been happy to see themselves simply as parts of a greater whole – for example, as members of a great family, trade guild, nation, or Church. This communal consciousness of the Middle Ages gradually gave way to the individual consciousness of the Renaissance." – McGrath, Alister, In the Beginning, Anchor Books (2001), p.38.

19. Humanism • Pursuit of individualism • Recognition that humans are created • Appreciation of art as a product of man • Basic culture needed for all • Life could be enjoyable • Love of the classical past, i.e. Ancient Greece and Rome

20. Early Humanists • Vittorino da Feltre and Guarino da Verona • Vittorino opened a school called La Giocosa (the House of Joy) • Sons of nobility as well as poor boys selected for their ability could study there • Studied classical writers as well as trained in physical activities such as riding and fencing • Guarino believed students should enjoy learning • Encouraged students to learn Ancient Greek and Latin • His goal was to produce scholars who would continue to learn throughout their lives • Both Vittorino and Guarino did much to emphasize the importance of the individual

21. Francesco Petrarch • 1304 to 1374 • Trained as a lawyer • Fell in love with a married woman who became the focus of his poetry • Wrote 400 sonnets to her honour

22. Francesco Petrarch • Petrarch’s emphasis on earthly physical love and living an active life – significant break with medieval ideas • Questioned monastic life believing clergy would be more useful working in society

23. Baldesar Castiglione • 1478-1529 • Wrote The Book of the Courtier • Humanist Ideal • Knowledgeable about warfare • Refined • Cultured • Educated

24. Baldesar Castiglione • Our Courtier will be considered excellent and in all things will have grace, especially in speaking, if he shuns affectation • Castiglione

25. Literature • Literature flourished during the Renaissance • This can be greatly attributed to Johannes Gutenberg • In 1455 Gutenberg printed the first book produced b using moveable type

26. Erasmus • Dutch humanist – 1466-1536 • Pushed for a Vernacular (common language) form of the Bible • “I disagree very much with those who are unwilling that Holy Scripture, translated into the vernacular, be read by the uneducated…As if the strength of the Christian religion consisted in the ignorance of it” • The Praise of Folly • Used humor to show the immoral and ignorant behaviour of people, including the clergy. He felt people would be open-minded and be kind to others

27. Erasmus • The leading humanist of the age • Studied ancient languages • Translated the New Testament • Criticized Martin Luther • …Free Will and Hyperaspistes • In Praise of Folly • His major work and most famous written work • Written in classical style • Discoursed on the foolishness and misguided pompousness of the world

28. “There are also those who think that there is nothing that they cannot obtain by relying on the magical prayers and charms thought up by some charlatan for the sake of his soul or for profit. Among the things they want are: wealth, honor, pleasure, plenty, perpetual good health, long life, a vigorous old age, and finally, a place next to Christ in heaven. However, they do not want that place until the last possible second; heavenly pleasures may come only when the pleasures of this life, hung onto with all possible tenacity, must finally depart. I can see some businessman, soldier, or judge taking one small coin from all his money and thinking that it will be proper expiation for all his perjury, lust, drunkenness, fighting, murder, fraud, lying and treachery. After doing this, he thinks he can start a new round of sinning with a new slate.” — Erasmus in Praise of Folly

29. Sir Thomas More • 1478 to 1535 • English Humanist • Wrote Utopia – a book about a perfect society • Men and women would live in harmony • No private property • No one is lazy, all people are educated • The justice system is used to end crime instead of executing criminals