C haracteristics of the Renaissance in Europe renaissance means rebirth

1. Characteristics of the Renaissance in Europe • renaissance means rebirth • a period of Western European history duringthe 15th (1400s) and 17th(1600s) centuries • Follows the Middle Ages

2. Middle Ages • Europeans were concerned with the church and religion. • Activities centered around getting to heaven rather than life here on Earth. • The Black Death killed one third of Europe's people. • To escape the danger, at least in their minds, people turned to God and the church.

3. Europe emerged from the Middle Ages and experienced financial, artistic, social, scientific and political growth. • The Renaissance occurred throughout most of Europe, first occurring in the Italian city of Florence. • When did the Renaissance end? It never did! Today’s world is brimming with innovations in business, science, the arts, and everyday life. The Renaissance thinking is shaping your future.

4. The financial growth during the Renaissance supported the creation of art and architecture (new materials, subjects and techniques ). • New trade routes across the Atlantic aided by new navigation and cartography innovations led to sources of exotic foods, spices, silks, gold and silver. • Inventions and advancements were made in mathematics, machinery, medicine, astronomy and physics.

6. Art • Medieval artists concentrated on the religious meaning of their work rather than on making the subjects look lifelike • Renaissance painters and sculptors preoccupied themselves with trying to represent people and nature in a more realistic way. Adoration of the Shepherds is but one example of a Renaissance painting that demonstrates new ideas and methods artists were experimenting with at the time. • in 1410 Artist Jan Van Eyck was the first to show the world the intensity of oil painting. Van Eyck had a desire to capture every detail of nature just as it was seen. • translucent oil paints allowed an increase in the range of pigments or colors as they could be blended on the painting itself to create smooth changes in tone.

9. The moveable type printing press (1455) • crucial in the spreading new ideas • more books available to scholars and students • ideas exchanged rapidly - books allowed scientists begin where the book left off • concept of education based on the exchange of ideas, the desire to learn, and the quest for knowledge based still echoes today as we move through the formal education system and evolve into lifelong learners.

10. the bourgeoisie or upper middle class emerged • affairs related to business, commerce, and manufacturing were of great importance • Priority was placed on the education of the children, family values, domestic comfort, the value of work, and an active role in the community • new ideas grounded in experiment and logical thinking.

11. Cities of the Renaissance were • centers of commerce • hubs for the newly practiced profession of law • the capitals of principalities • centers of knowledge • Centers for manufacturing

12. Velvet • worn by nobility and persons of great importance. • indicated wealth and status • created a significant amount of wealth and power for those who manufactured it. • increased demand created manufacturing towns in Italy, which became renowned for producing high quality silk velvets • Manufacturers responded with greater experimentation and new techniques that increased the value of the fabric. • fashion conscious Italians increased the size and complexity of their clothing resulting in exaggerated styles for both men and women that hindered movement.

13. Business • Manufacturing success created a demand for banks. • Schools of business along with manuals and guides providing useful information on how to conduct business flourished • The Italian businessmen who invented capitalism demonstrated a remarkable understanding of economics and the technical skills required to turn a profit • The Fuggers are but one example of a family that embraced the capitalist entrepreneurial spirit of the time that resulted from the explosion of banking, business, and industry during the Renaissance. Today's banking, business and economic practices are firmly rooted in the Renaissance, a time when a better life was sought through the accumulation of both knowledge and wealth.

14. Food • Daily or weekly town markets were an important part of everyday life. Food was grown, game hunted, and livestock raised for sale at local markets. Fresh fish were offered at coastal markets adding to the wide variety of provisions available. • As trade and exploration increased, food including fruit and spices were bought, sold, and traded at local markets throughout Europe. • As populations grew, town markets became a meeting-place for people and goods of all descriptions. • Large powerful towns throughout Europe drew goods from regions very far away. • Spice trade driven by European need for food preservation thrived in Venice because of the sea trading power that they gained during and after the Black Plague.