2. The Renaissance
1. The Middle Ages Ends
a. Europe is starting to take shape with England, France, and regions in Italy all
evolving
b. Revival of culture
c. Return to cities
d. The Church was still powerful
e. Writers and artists began to express new ideas and styles
3. The Renaissance
2. What is the Renaissance?
a. Renaissance: Rebirth in art, writing, architecture, learning, and culture.
b. The educated hoped to bring back to life the culture of classical Greece and Rome
c. In doing so, they created something entirely new: innovative styles of art and
literature
d. The Renaissance eventually spread from northern Italy to the rest of Europe
e. Occurred roughly 1300-1600
4. The Renaissance
3. Why Italy?
a. Italy had 3 distinct advantages
i. City-States
1. Overseas trade, spurred by the Crusades had led to growth of large
city-states
2. Thus, northern Italy was urban while the rest of Europe was still rural
3. Cities were the place where people exchanged ideas and the site
of an intellectual revolution
4. Survivors of plague could demand higher wages
5. Merchants had few opportunities to expand business so they pursued
art
6. The Renaissance
ii. Merchants and the Medici
1. A wealthy merchant developed in each Italian city-state
2. Merchants dominated politics
3. Merchants did not inherit social rank- used their wits to survive
4. This lead to the rise of importance of individual merit
5. The Medici banking family came to dominate Florence
a. Had branch offices all throughout Italy and Europe
b. Cosimo de Medici was the wealthiest European of his time
c. Grandson Lorenzo de Medici became great patron of the arts
d. Patron: someone who financially supports an artist or the arts
9. The Renaissance
iii. Classical heritage of Greece and Rome
1. Renaissance artists looked down on the art and literature of
the Middle Ages
2. Instead they wanted to revive the learning of the Greeks and Romans
3. Ruins of Rome were nearby
4. Many Greek manuscripts made their way to Rome via Christian
scholars
10. The Renaissance
4. Classical and Worldly Views
a. As scholars studied manuscripts, they became more influenced by classical ideas.
This lead to:
b. Humanism: an intellectual movement that focused more on human potential
and achievements
i. Popularized the study of history, literature, and philosophy (all are known
as humanities)
c. Worldly pleasure: Humanists suggested that a person could enjoy life without
offending God
i. Ex.Wealthy could enjoy material luxuries, good music, and fine foods
11. The Renaissance
5. The Renaissance Man and Woman
a. Renaissance Man: One strove to be a master in every area of study
i. Expected to be charming, witty, and well educated in the classics
ii. Also should be a skilled rider, wrestler, and swordsman
b. RenaissanceWoman: Upper-class women should know the classics and be
charming
i. Not expected to seek fame
ii. Inspire art but not create it
iii. Little influence in politics
