Renaissance Europe

Changes in Society• Middle Ages: (Europe in the 4th - 14th centuries)– Feudal society (everyone has a master but the king and the Pope)

– Catholic church had absolute power• Renaissance: (15-17th centuries)

– Catholic church questioned; peoples’ worlds began to expand

– Poor still had masters but everyone began to rebel against authority

The Arts• Renaissance = “rebirth” of art and learning• Art still to honor and to serve God, but also to celebrate humans

• Art became more nuanced – human form studied• Painting, sculpture, architecture, music

Michelangelo

Leonardo da Vinci

The School at Athens, with lines to show perspective

Cities

• Beautiful, powerful, crowded, filthy

• Powerful cities due to trade &/or having a cathedral– Venice, Florence, Paris, Rome, London

• Cities were centers for merchants, religious beliefs, education

• Also where diseases spread most quickly

Buildings

• Centers of power made of stone (castles, cathedrals, universities)

• Homes built of wood or mud brick

• In some places, poor homes were built of mud walls (wattle and daub) with thatched roofs

Government• Powerful kings ruled - absolute authority

• Their advisors carried out laws - Disobedience meant prison or death

• Very high taxes on the poor, had to pay with cash or land

• England is different

Religion in Europe• Corrupt Catholic Church questioned by Martin Luther and other Protestants

• New Protestant churches divided European church

• Jews, Muslims, also lived in Europe, but faced persecution.

Education & Science

• Scientists needed patrons (someone wealthy to pay for their research)– Johannes Gutenburg – – Copernicus, then Galileo – proved earth revolves around sun

Trade and Money

• Every country had its own currency– gold and silver coins– Jewels also valued

• Trade existed throughout Europe– Bad roads, boats could sink

• Venice most powerful merchant city - traded with Asia (silks, spices)– Marco Polo went to Asia in 1271, opened up that continent for trade

Writing and Record Keeping

• Keepers of Information– Universities, Monasteries, King’s Court

• Printing press means more books available for cheaper prices - lower classes can read!