The West and the World

Lesson #2- The Renaissance in Italy

Q.Q.• Where did the Renaissance take place?• What function (S) did the Renaissance have on

society? (Artistic, political, economic, religions, etc)

Social Institutions

Function of the Renaissance:

Artistic

Political

Economic

Religious

Other

BackgroundBackground• The Renaissance developed in the urban areas of

Northern Italy.• The Renaissance, although famous for its artistic

elements, was an economic, literary and political movement as much as it was an artistic one.

• Science, literature, architecture and arts were reborn during this period.

What is the What is the Renaissance?Renaissance?

• The term Renaissance means rebirth• Europeans who saw the Middle Ages as a

Dark Age called it a rebirth because they felt that Europe was resuming the civilization of the Greeks & Romans

• Historically, the Renaissance is used to separate the ancient world from the modern

• Renaissance was marked by a change in attitude, to a more secular attitude

Cities & TownsCities & Towns• Cities in the Middle Ages were founded, or rebuilt

Roman towns; as centres of trade, military refuges, or centres of church administration.

• Because of the different economic organization of towns, different legal systems and a different concept of citizenship developed from the feudal relationships in rural Europe.

Urban PovertyUrban Poverty• Urban centres were areas of significant social

stratification.• In Coventry (England) in 1524 nearly 50% of the

population could not pay the minimum tax rate while 2% of the population owned 45% of the wealth.

• In cities across Europe where figures exist, the distribution of income is nearly identical.

The Lure of The Lure of OpportunityOpportunity

• The most important draw for rural men to migrate to the cities was the lure of opportunity.

• Everywhere in Europe were stories of poor young men who set out to make their fortunes in the city.

• There really were only four ways for a man to better himself:o The Churcho The militaryo Overseas explorationo In the cities of Europe

• The cities of Europe offered the most comfortable and easily accessible opportunity for young men throughout Europe.

• They were also the areas where most men failed to better themselves.

City PoliticsCity Politics• With nearly 50% of the population living on the

poverty line, city politics tended to be explosive.• This was complicated by the degree of

independence or autonomy of each city which was related to the strength of the monarchs.

• Cities in the Holy Roman Empire tended to be the largest and most independent.

• Additionally, the most commercially active towns, like Venice, Genoa and Florence; tended to enjoy significantly greater liberties than other cities.

• The unique political opportunities in the cities of Europe also provided the wealthy and powerful members of the nobility and merchant class with a chance to dabble in the art of ruling.

The ContadoThe Contado• Was the name given to the territory surrounding a

city that was ruled by the city.• This process took place primarily in Northern Italy

as Venice, Florence, Milan and Genoa expanded their control over the neighbouring countryside.

• The Contado was important to secure food supplies and control rural manufacturing.

Why Italy?Why Italy?• Italian towns were large and busy due to the

wealth and volume of Mediterranean trade• Italian craftsmen were the most skilled in all of

Europe and their products were in high demand

• Merchants grew wealthy by trading the wares of the craftsmen and then used this wealth to loan money to princes & popes becoming bankers

• The main reason was the independence of the Italian city states

Italian GovernmentItalian Government• There was no king to govern Italy as a whole, and

the popes were distracted by disputes arising from the Great Schism.

• Small independent city states were controlled by local governments.

• Most were oligarchies, where a small group of influential families had control.

• Merchant oligarchies were free to pursue their own interests and maintain independence.

• Several city states, Venice, Genoa & Florence; were governed as republics, the others were governed by aristocratic houses.

Italian PoliticsItalian Politics• In these independent mini-states, members of

merchant families competed for public offices.• Often, their success was based on their ability to

suppress popular revolts or by winning popular favour.

• Once in office, leaders of these towns commissioned public works, made alliances with other states, hired armies and outwitted their rivals.

Florence – the Centre of the Florence – the Centre of the

RenaissanceRenaissance• With a population of 60,000 Florence was not the

largest of the Italian city states, it produced an amazing number of gifted men:o Dante, Petrarch, Boccacio, Macchiavelli

• Florentine government was dominated by 1 family, the Medici.

Godfathers of the Renaissance: Birth of Dynasty• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FFDJK8jmms

The Medici FamilyThe Medici Family• The Medici family fortunes were founded by

Giovanni de Medici, a merchant and a banker.• Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464) extended the

family’s influence into government & public affairs.

• His grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), was a great patron of the arts.

Giovanni Di Medici Cosimo Di Medici

Lorenzo “The Magnificent” Di Medici

• By the 17th Century Florence was transformed into a Grand Duchy (from a republic) ruled by the Medici family.

• The Medici ruled Florence until 1737.• The family produced a number of cardinals, 2

popes, and 2 queens of France.

Godfathers of the Renaissance: The Medici Pope • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmNbecu1V6I

Renaissance IdealsRenaissance Ideals• The Renaissance produced a new respect

and glorification of human powers• Humans were no longer seen as frail,

needing the grace and salvation of God• New ideals saw glory in a life of

involvement, of activity and the enjoyment of wealth

• In Italy this idea took the form of public duty, government & administration

VirtuVirtu• This new emphasis on civic involvement found

expression in the classical Latin writer Cicero.• His, and other writings of the ancients, provided

an ethics independent of the Christian morality of the Middle Ages.

• Renaissance individualism put great emphasis on outstanding skills/abilities/attainments.

• A great individual shaped his own destiny in a world governed by fortune.

• A man such as this had “virtu” the essence of being a man (an alpha type personality).

• A man of virtu, in any field (arts, war, statescraft), was a man who knew what he was doing, used his talents to the best of his abilities and excelled at all he did.

Human GloryHuman Glory

Art & ArchitectureArt & Architecture• The combination of new wealth, preoccupation

with human achievement and the appreciation of beauty spurred lavish spending on the arts and architecture.

• Wealthy families patronized artists to produce paintings, sculpture & architecture to adorn & glorify their homes & public offices.

• Art became a competition between the great families of the Renaissance, to employ the greatest artists brought fame to a family.

Renaissance LiteratureRenaissance Literature• The literary movement was called humanism

because of the rising interest in “human letters”

• Writing became an occupation, both public & private, on topics such as government & philosophy

• Humanists wrote in Latin, but not Medieval Latin, which was seen as influenced by the clergy

• They returned to the classical form of Latin, inspired by writers such as Cicero, and Greek

Classical InfluencesClassical Influences• The Renaissance saw a re-discovery of

classical ideas and forms of expression• Art, sculpture and architecture all

emulated classical styles• Literature was patterned after classical

styles and subjects, moving beyond the theology of the middle ages

• A “cult of antiquity” was developed within Renaissance culture

Warfare in Renaissance Warfare in Renaissance ItalyItaly

• Italian city states were too small and their leaders, merchants & bankers, were not trained as military leaders

• They used their wealth to hire professional soldiers called “condottieri” to fight for them

• These mercenaries often switched sides during wars if they received a better offer

• This kept a balance within Italy and allowed other areas of Europe to grow stronger

Intervention of European Intervention of European

PowersPowers• The relatively small size, political

instability and great wealth of the Italian city states made them an appealing target for the ambitions of European monarchs.

• In the late 15th century, major kingdoms, ruled by strong royal families, emerged that would dominate European politics for the next 3 centuries.

• In France, the Valois royal family emerged from the Hundred Years War to rule over a large and powerful kingdom.

French AmbitionsFrench Ambitions• In 1494 Charles VIII (1483-1498) sent an

army to cross the alps and proved how weak the city states were compared to the “new monarchies” of western Europe.

• Charles had a claim to the throne of Naples through his mother and sought to capture the throne by force.

• Charles’ entry into Italy started a series of wars known as the “Italian Wars” which drew in the Austrians, Spanish and Turks.

Charles VIII

Charles VIII Enters Florence

Charles VIIIEnters Naples

The Italian WarsThe Italian Wars• Were fought from 1494 to 1559.• The involvement of France was initially

encouraged by Milan, but proved unpopular.

• French ambitions were challenged by the Habsburgs, rulers of Spain (unified in 1479), Austria & the Holy Roman Empire.

• Italy became an area of dispute between France, Spain and Austria for the next 300 years.

The Plight of the Italian The Plight of the Italian StatesStates

• In 1494, with the threat of a French invasion, the popular party in Florence overthrew the Medici who had opposed Charles VIII’s Italian ambitions.

• This created a situation where the Florentine republic was forced to rely on French support while the Medici were forced to turn to the enemies of France for support.

• The politics of Florence became intertwined with the political struggles of the emerging monarchies of Europe.

• By 1512 the Medici, with Spanish support, returned to power in Florence.

Hapsburg AmbitionsHapsburg Ambitions• Aside from resisting French Ambitions, the

Hapsburgs, as Holy Roman Emperors had often clashed with the Papacy over control of religious positions within Germany.

• Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain & Austria was a key figure in the Reformation.

• After intervening against the French in the Italian wars initially in 1521, he turned against the Pope to force Pope Clement VII to refuse English King Henry VIII’s request to divorce Catherine of Aragon.

Charles V Henry VIII Clement VII

End of the RenaissanceEnd of the Renaissance• In 1527 a horde of undisciplined Spanish &

German mercenaries sacked Rome, captured Clement VII, a Medici, & looted the city for 3 weeks.

• Although embarrassed by this, Charles V used this to his advantage against both France and England.

• The sack of Rome signaled the end of the Renaissance and the religious upheaval of the Reformation became the focus of Europe.

ConclusionsConclusions• Although it began in Italy, the Renaissance spread

throughout Western Europe and had a significant affect on many aspects of European society.

• It’s focus on humanist, secular and literary values were an important starting point for major changes such as the Reformation and Scientific Revolution.

• The Renaissance was able to flourish due to the independent nature of Italian city states however this weakness proved to be the end of the Renaissance.

• As smaller and weaker states, the Italian states were overwhelmed by the military power of the emerging monarchies of Western Europe.

• With the end of the Renaissance we shift our focus onto the transformations in Europe caused by the Reformation.

Q.Q.• How was European society different from Western

society today? Give three examples• Explain why an understanding of the role of

religion in daily life in early modern Europe is critical to understanding the Renaissance and Reformation periods

• Describe how the social organization of early modern Europe differed from that of the medieval period

• How did the Renaissance worldview differ from the Medieval worldview?

Application QuestionApplication Question

What aspects of this image tell you it is not a medieval painting? What aspects of the painting

(theme, content) suggest the legacy of the medieval period continued to influence the art of Michelangelo?