2. What was the Renaissance?
“Rebirth” in arts, learning, trade in Europe beginning
in the 1300’s
Recovery from disasters of plague, political instability,
decline of church power
Transition of Europe from agricultural to urban society
So what was it?
A. Spread of new political, social, artistic ideas
B. New social system developing in Europe (middle
class)
C. Interest in “classics” from Greece and Rome
D. Explored human experience
E. Emphasis on individual ability
F. Growing secular (non-religious), worldly, viewpoint
Renaissance Man- person capable of many
achievements (Leonardo da Vinci painter, sculptor,
architect, inventor, mathematician)
3. Renaissance begins in Italy
Renaissance began in Italy
Italy was made up of many small,
powerful city-states- Venice,
Florence, Milan
Why Italy?
A. Center of old Roman Empire, close
to classic civilizations
B. Catholic Church and wealthy
merchants were patrons
(supporters) of the arts
C. Center of trade with other regions
1. provided wealth,
2. exchange of ideas
3. urban trading cities
4. center of banking
4. Italian City- States
City- states grew wealthy because of
trade during Crusades
City- states controlled by wealthy merchants,
families
City- states competed to display wealth
Families had political, economic control
Medici family of Florence powerful
family during Renaissance
Supporters of the arts (patrons)
Powerful banking family, controlled the flow of
money across Europe
Medici wealth and influence transformed
Florence
5. Intellectual and Artistic Renaissance
Key intellectual movement- Humanism
A. Study of classical culture- Greece, Rome
B. Focus on worldly subjects, not religion
C. Focus on human potential
Education- stimulate creative powers, create great
citizens
Humanist schools model for education in Europe
until 20th century.
6. Art and Architecture
I. Artists imitate nature,
importance of human,
individual
II. Realist painting, sculpture
III. Used perspective to create
realist art (looked 3D)
IV. Used new oil paints
V. Studied human figure
Da Vinci, Michelangelo,
Raphael- famous painters,
sculptors
Architecture adopted columns,
arches, domes of Greeks and
Romans
7. Vernacular Literature
Vernacular- language of
own region (English, Spanish,
German, etc.)
Many writers wrote in their
own language
Before all scholarly work in
Latin
Famous Renaissance writers
Dante- Divine Comedy
(Italian)
Chaucer- Canterbury Tales
(English)
8. Italian Writers
Literature developed to help ambitious
men and women achieve
Book of the Courtier- Castiglione
(1528)
Described ideal noble
1. Not made, but born
2. Needed skill as a warrior
3. Expected to have well rounded education, enrich
life with the arts
4. Certain standards of conduct
Niccolo Machiavelli- The Prince (1513)
Political guidebook
How to acquire and keep power
Ends justify the means
9. Renaissance in Northern Europe
Economic, social recovery happened
during 1400’s
Began Belgium (Flanders), northern
France, Netherlands, in urban areas
that were involved in the cloth trade
Renaissance developed its own
character
Invention of printing press 1455
Johann Gutenberg printed Bible using
moveable type printing press
A. Many copies of books could be printed
quickly
B. Books easier, cheaper to produce, more
people gained access to knowledge, ideas
C. Rise in Literacy across Europe
D. Published new discoveries
1500 over 1000 printers in Europe
10. Northern Renaissance Artists, Writers
Artists studied under Italian masters, copied
technique
Northern European rulers purchased paintings,
hired Italian artists and architects
Many Northern European artists went to Italy
to study and copy techniques
More interested in realism, details of everyday
life
Pieter Brugel, Albrecht Durer, Jan van Eyck
well known Northern Renaissance artists
Durer known for his engraving
12. Northern Renaissance Artists, Writers
Humanist writers
promoted education and classical learning bring religious, spiritual
reform
Used reason to improve themselves
Appealed to growing middle class in cities
Northern Renaissance focused on religious ideas (not secular) called
“Christian Humanism”
Erasmus- Dutch priest, produced Bible in Greek
Doubts about organized church
Christianity should show people how to live good lives, not
provide system of beliefs
Praise of Folly criticized abuses of church
13. Northern Renaissance in England
Mid 1500’s Queen Elizabeth I of
England supported development of art
and literature
Sir Thomas Moore- Utopia describes
ideal society
William Shakespeare- English
playwright in the late 1500’s and early
1600’s
Plays, poems express themes in
everyday universal settings
Renaissance ideals of individual human
flaws appear in plays
Wrote in English lanuage-1,700 words
appear for first time in plays
15. Luther Leads the Reformation (pages 54-60)
Causes of the Reformation
A. Rise of wealth based economy
Merchants resented paying taxes to the
Church, king jealous of Church wealth
B. Declining power of church
Leaders had become corrupt
C. Kings becoming more powerful
and challenged Church authority
D. Questions about supremacy of
church raised by Christian
Humanists (Erasmus)
Society was changing and people were
searching for answers
16. Church Abuses
Catholic Church caught up in secular affairs
To finance church they raised fees on marriage and
baptism
Sold indulgences- forgiveness of sins for money
17. Early Revolts Against Church
Late 1300’s –John Wycliffe (English) attacked
Catholic Church, called for changes
Said Bible supreme to pope
Followers had to meet in secret to avoid persecution
Early 1400’s John Hus (Czech) led reform
movement, accused of heresy and executed 1415
Caused revolt in Bohemia did not end until 1436
Writing of Erasmus also had an effect
18. Martin Luther
Martin Luther (German, Catholic
monk) protests against church led
to Reformation
1517-Luther became upset a local
priest, Johann Tetzel, selling
indulgences in Wittenberg,
Germany
Indulgences guaranteed person
and dead relatives place in heaven
Outraged Luther, posted 95
Theses on Church in Wittenberg,
Germany (maybe)
19. 95 Theses/ Luther’s beliefs
1. Luther believed that faith alone was needed for
salvation
Catholic teachings that faith and good works were needed
for salvation
2. Bible was ultimate authority , not the pope
3. All people could have direct relationship with God
Copies of 95 Theses printed and distributed across
Europe
20. Reaction to Luther
Pope excommunicated him (kicked him out of Catholic Church)
Emperor of Holy Roman Empire (HRE) called Luther to meeting to
take back what he said (Diet of Worms)
Luther refused and declared an outlaw
Luther supporters accepted his teachings
May German princes renounced authority of pope
21. Luther’s Teachings
A. All people direct relationship with God
B. Bible needed to be translated into
vernacular
C. Banned indulgences
D. Simplified mass, emphasis on sermon
E. Permitted clergy to marry
1530’s followers called Protestants,
Lutherans
22.
23. Princes and Peasants
German princes supported Luther:
1. Independence from Church, HRE
2. Excuse to seize Church property in territory
3. Keep money in territory
Poor support Luther’s message:
1. Equality, social change
2. Revolts across Germany (Peasant's Revolt)
3. Not supported by Luther, respected social order, political authority
Peace of Augsburg (1555) allowed each prince to decide
which religion to follow in their lands
Northern Germany- Protestant
Southern Germany- Catholic
25. English Reformation
1520’s religious leaders exploring
Protestant ideas
English had called for reform in
Church
Henry VIII wanted divorce from
wife, wanted male heir
Pope would not annul (cancel)
marriage
Henry and Chancellor Thomas
Cromwell had Parliament pass laws
to take control of Church
26. English Reformation
1534- Act of Supremacy made Henry head of
Church of England (Anglican Church)
Burned Catholics for heresy
1536-1540-Seized monastery lands and wealth
Gave land to nobles
Church not radical- kept many Catholic forms of
worship, used English Bible
27. English Reformation
1547 Henry dies
Son Edward VI becomes
king
Passes laws that
strengthen Protestant
Church
Book of Common Prayer
required in all church
services
28. English Reformation
Mary Tudor, Edwards sister,
queen after Edward dies
Mary was Catholic, had many
Protestants killed for heresy
1558 Elizabeth I becomes
queen, decided future of
Anglican Church
Established compromise
between Catholic and
Protestant Church, ended
decades of religious turmoil
(Elizabethan Compromise)
29.
30. The Reformation Continues (pages 61-66)
Reformation caused many smaller groups to
break away from Catholic Church
1520’s Switzerland- Ulrich Zwingli
Stressed importance of Bible, simplified
elaborate church ritual
John Calvin- Geneva, Switzerland
Idea of predestination (God already decided
who went to heaven)
Ideas known as Calvinism
1559- Calvinism spreads to Scotland, known
as Presbyterians
1541- Calvinists established theocracy in
Geneva
Followers had strict rules
Seen as model Christian community
Ideas of Calvinism spread across Europe to
Americas (Pilgrims and Puritans)
31. New Religious Groups
Other sects had radical
ideas
Anabaptists
1. rejected infant baptism
2. Communities shared
everything
3. religious tolerance
4. Separation of church and
state
5. Refused military service
Persecuted by Catholic
and Protestant groups
32. Catholic Counter Reformation
New religious order Jesuits
founded by Ignatius of Loyola
A. Defended and spread
Catholic faith
B. Set up schools
C. Spread Catholicism to Africa,
Asia, Americas
By 1600 Protestant religions
had gained a foothold across
Europe, church abuses reduced
33. Catholic Counter Reformation
Most Europeans remained Catholic
1530’s- 1540’s Pope Paul III tried to revive moral authority, end corruption of
Catholic Church
Council of Trent- (1545, met for 20 years)
Reaffirmed traditional Catholic views, final authority on the Bible
penalties for corruption among clergy
educated clergy
Indulgences were valid
Inquisition (courts used to find non- believers) were widely used across Europe
34. Legacies of the Reformation
1. Religious differences caused intolerance, divided
Europe
2. Different religions persecuted those that were
different
3. Weakened church allowed strong monarchies to
develop (Chapter 6)
4. Led to Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution
(Chapter 6)
5. Jews forced to live in ghettos across Europe
1. Could not live in Spanish colonies
2. Many moved to Ottoman Empire, Netherlands