Post on 23-Dec-2015
The Renaissance:Rise of the Italian City-
State
Renaissance: General Characteristics
“rebirth”, or reawakening. Specifically… …Signals European interest in the
“classical” past. Occurred mainly in Italy (late 13th C to
early 17thC) An urban movement; rural peasants hardly
felt its effects Most events and changes were limited to
the rich, elite of society.
Renaissance: Roots of Modernity?
As of yet, we are not clear what modernity is, substantially, though we have some clues.
We know , as a whole, it signals a departure from the past
The past we are concerned with is Medieval institutions and ideas
Feudal chains, were "loosening" in Italian city-states.
Textbook tells us these city states were a 'bridge'—to what?
How would this lead to a weakening of feudal structure in the Italian city states?
Feudal Social Classes,Changes and Challenges
SECULAR
KING
NOBLES
KNIGHTS
MERCHANTS
PROFESSIONALS
CRAFTSMEN
PEASANTSfreemen
serfs
RELIGIOUS
POPE
CARDINALS
BISHOPS ABBOTS
PRIESTS MONKS NUNS
PEASANTSlay brothers and sisters
serfs
Unlike the Barons, Merchant $$ derived autonomously
Merchant rulers also challenged Papal supremacy, by taking religious matters into their own hands: particularly religious architecture and sculpture
Increasing control of city states by Merchant rulers, leads to new political ideas
i.e. republics /dictatorships & diplomacy
Lorenzo de Medici of Florence Cossimo de
Medici of Florence
Tomb of Lorenzo de Medici
Plazzo Vecchio, Florence
Medici court architecture, showcasing family line
Sociological & Economic impact of the city state
KING
NOBLES
KNIGHTS
MERCHANTS
PROFESSIONALS
CRAFTSMEN
PEASANTSfreemen
serfs
Economy, urban not rural (so, not agriculturally based)
Money starts flowing into cities creating changes in class structures
Modern financial & banking techniques develop (bookkeeping, loans, trade economies)
Competition between city states, propels the Merchant rulers to become patrons of arts and crafts, to beautify city
$$ Flowed, too, to Craftsmen. Inspiring innovation and creativity
City also promised some freedom for serfs who moved to cities
Increasingly, individualism emphasized
Increasingly, the notion of freedom from constraints…
Cultural Outcomes: Symbolism
Effect of growing autonomy, leads to a dramatic shift in popular symbolism
The ideal figure of the past—The Chivalric Knight —is replaced by….
The “Renaissance Man” Values—to be knowledgeable
about : the world Art and architecture / to
have refined taste Classical sources—
literature, art and science Crystallized in Castiglione’s,
The Courtier
HumanismChanging political, social and cultural ideals lead to…
Humanism Derived from the Latin humanitas Viewed the classics (literature, philosophy and
art) as their inspiration Stressed living in and understanding this world,
human dignity, and responsible citizenship Saw knowledge as a guide to personal and
political conduct
Humanist Personalities
1. Petrarch & Mirandola pg 182. Machiavelli pg 19-203. Castiglione pgs 22-234. Savonarola pgs 23 -245. More pgs 24 – 256. Erasmus pgs 18 & 25 -26