Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance Renaissance means Rebirth

Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance • Renaissance means “Rebirth” (1) • The Italian Renaissance occurred between 1350 and 1550 (2). It eventually spread to the rest of Europe. • It brought back the influence and cultures of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds (3). • There were several intellectual and artistic achievements during the Italian Renaissance.

The Italian Renaissance • Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance (4) – Urban Society • A secular, or worldly, viewpoint developed among the people as wealth created new opportunities for more people to enjoy material possessions. – Recovery • The Renaissance was also a period of recovery from the bubonic plague, political instability, and overbearing church power during the Middle Ages (5) – Individual ability • A high regard for human worth developed during the Renaissance as well. The well-rounded, universal person was capable of achievements in many areas of life. Leonardo da Vinci, for example, excelled as a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, and mathematician. (6)

The Italian States • Because no strong monarch had emerged in Italy, city-states dominated Italian politics (7) • These city-states developed because of trade with the Byzantines, Arabs, and English (8) • Venice (9) – Was a link between Europe and Asia – Officially was a republic led by an elected leader – Actually was ruled by a small group of merchant aristocrats – Because of the vast trade networks, Venice was an international power.

The Italian States • Milan (9) – Was a crossroads from the Italian peninsula to Europe – Originally ruled by the Visconti family. (10) Francesco Sforza conquered it in 1447 (11) after the Visconti family members died off – The rulers created an efficient tax system that generated large revenues for the government (12)

The Italian States • Florence (9) – – Strong trading state In 1434, the Medici family took control (13) It was the cultural center of Italy during the 1400’s Girolamo Savonarola (14), a Dominican preacher, began condemning the corruption of the Medicis – The Medici gave control of the city over to Savonarola's followers – Savonarola grew unpopular, was accused of heresy, and was put to death – The Medicis regained power of Florence after his death.

The Italian Wars • French King Charles VIII (15) led an army into Italy in 1494 because of the great riches that were found in Italy. He eventually overtook an area of land in southern Italy called Naples (16) • The Northern Italian states asked the Spanish for help (17) • The Spanish and French fought for 30 years in Italy (18) • The Spanish destroyed Rome because the soldiers had not been paid in months by the Italians (19). By destroying Rome, Spain became a dominant force in Italy and ended the war with France

Machiavelli and the New Statecraft • Niccolo Machiavelli (20) – Wrote The Prince, one of the most influential works on political power in the Western world. – The central thesis is how to acquire and keep political power – Prior to this book, Christian leaders argued that those in charge of government should be ethical and moral. – Machiavelli believed that leaders of the state should govern by pursuing power at all cost, no matter the effect on people’s lives, because it is what preserves the state. (21)

Renaissance Society • Society during the Renaissance was divided into three main classes, or estates: the nobility, the townspeople, and the peasants (22) • The Nobility – Made up 2 to 3 percent of the population – Served as political advisors to the King – The were expected to fulfill certain ideals which were outlined in The Book of the Courtier, written by Baldassare Castiglione – 3 Characteristics of a noble (23) • He was born not made • He had to master military and academic skills • He had to follow a standard of conduct

Renaissance Society • Townspeople – 3 different classes of townspeople (24) • Patricians – usually wealthy traders, bankers and industry tycoons • Burghers – the middle class (shopkeepers, artisans and guild members) • Workers – did all the dirty work for extremely low pay. Poverty became a huge issue during the late 1300 s and 1400 s because of this low pay. (25)

Renaissance Society • Peasants – Made up 85 to 90 percent of the total European population (26) – Serfdom decreased with the decline of the manorial system. – More peasants moved out of slavery during the Renaissance, but had very few opportunities to better themselves or their families