Chapter 15: The Renaissance

1. Chapter 15: The Renaissance The Italian States

2. Renaissance Italy

3. The Major Italian States • Economics and Politics • 5 major Italian regions: Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, and Rome(Papal States) • Milan • 14th century Visconti Family • Connected Alps to rest of the Italian trade cities • 1447: Francesco Sforza conquered Milan • Did it for the money • Established a strong central government • Established a tax system for the government

4. The Major Italian Cities • Venice • Served as the commercial link between Asia and Western Europe • Established as a republic with a doge as its leader • Reality is that the aristocrats/wealthy merchants ran the city • International power due to its large trading ports

5. The Major Italian Cities • Florence • Established as a republic in the Tuscany region • Started off as a small city but grew through military conquest • 1434: Cosimo de Medici • Established the de Medici family as the leaders of Florence • Led Florence to become cultural center of Italy • As cities gain more power, the Church loses power • Girolano Savonarola (Preacher) • Spoke out against the corruption of the Medici family • Drove them to be exiled from Florence

6. The Major Italian Cities • Papal States • Included Rome • Controlled by the Catholic Church • Naples • Only major state that was a monarchy • Conflict in Europe • Italian prosperity led to the French attacking the city states • 1494: took control of Naples • Italy called for help from Spain • 1527: Rome ransacked by all

7. Machiavelli’s The Prince • Most influential work on politics of the time • Main idea: How does one gain and maintain power? • Set of rules as to how to govern • Morality is unrelated to politics • Must act on behalf of the state • Must be willing to do both good and evil

8. Renaissance Society • 3 classes within society: Clergy, Nobility, Peasants • Nobility • Expected to live up to the standards of the Renaissance • Nobles were born not made • Required, character, grace, and talent • The aim was to serve the prince in an effective and honest way • This made a perfect noble

9. Renaissance Society • Peasants • Patricians • Money from banking, trade, and industry • Burghers • Shopkeepers, artisans, and guild masters • Workers • Unskilled workers • Unemployed

10. Family and Marriage • Marriage • Arranged between family • Designed to strengthen families and business ties • Dowry was given by wife’s family for marriage • Family • Husband/father was center of family • Absolute authority over all in family • Mother supervised household and children

11. Chapter 15: The Renaissance Ideas and Art of the Renaissance

12. Italian Humanism • What is Humanism? • Intellectual movement based on the study of the humanities (grammar, history, philosophy, etc.) • Based on the study of Greek and Roman literature • Use of classical values to revitalize culture • Francesco Petrarch • Father of Italian Renaissance humanism • Use of classical Latin • Establishment of libraries • Emphasized Cicero and Virgil

13. Life of Humanists • To many, the humanist movement was to be a solitary movement • No need for family • By 15th century, movement went into politics • In order to spread movement, vernacular language used even though they pushed Latin only • Dante: The Divine Comedy written in Italian • Soul’s journey to attain Paradise

14. Renaissance Education • Affected by the humanist movement • Less of a push for religion in education • Areas of study • History, grammar, public speaking, logic, poetry, mathematics, music, and ethics • Wanted to produce individuals of virtue and wisdom • Wanted to create well-rounded citizens • Physical education important as well • Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized education and how knowledge was passed into society

15. Italian Renaissance Art • Frescoes • Painting done on fresh wet plaster with water based paint • Tommaso di Giovanni (Masaccio) • Started this period of art • The Tribute Money (Story of the life of Peter) • Used perspective to create 3D images

16. Italian Renaissance Art • Two Major Developments in Painting • 1. Importance of the technical aspect of painting • Understanding perspective • Organization of outdoor space • Light through geometry • 2. Investigation of movement and human anatomy • Realistic portrayals of individuals • Greater use of human nudes

17. Example: David (Michelangelo)

18. Renaissance Sculpture • Donatello • Studied Greek and Roman Statues • Free standing statues

19. Renaissance Architecture • Inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Rome • Brunelleschi • Classical columns • Rounded arches • Large exterior domes • Open airy spaces

20. Example-Church of San Lorenzo

21. The High Renaissance (1490-1520) • Leonardo da Vinci • The “Renaissance man” • Artist, inventor, scientist • Master of realistic painting • Mona Lisa

22. The High Renaissance (1490-1520) • Raphael Sanzio • Well known for madonnas (paintings of Mary) • School of Athens • Balance, harmony, and order (what Greek and Roman art stood for)

23. The High Renaissance (1490-1520) • Michelangelo • The Sistine Chapel