The Renaissance Focus Question Focus Question How influential

The Renaissance

Focus Question • Focus Question: How influential were internal factors (e. g. Renaissance, Reformation, demographic, economic, and social changes) and factors external to Europe in increasing Europe’s global power?

The Middle Ages (Medieval Period) • 5 th century – 15 th century AD • Fall of Rome Renaissance • Europe mostly peasant farmers • Little education & low literacy • Christianity + superstition

The Renaissance • 1350 -1550 AD • Began in Italy • Moved northward • Eventually covered Europe • Took place in cities / didn’t affect most Europeans at first • Christianity w/o superstition

Characteristics of the Italian Renaissance • 1. Urban Society (cities) • 2. Secular Society (Society not run by religion) • 3. Humanistic (people should learn & make society better)

1. Urban Society • Italy was not a unified country • Independent, powerful cities ruled areas surrounding them • City-states = rivals, not allies • Most powerful: Venice, Milan, Florence, and the Papal States

The most powerful citystates were those with ports (Venice) or on key trade routes (Milan, Florence).

Milan • South of key Alps mountain passes • Trade between Italy/Middle East & rest of Europe came through • Controlled trade & charged tariffs

Venice • Most important port city in Italy • Geographic tie between Europe, Asia, Middle East • Dependence on sea trade led to strong navy, too

Venice • Called a republic • Doge = elected leader (his palace & prison at left) • In reality, a few wealthy bankers and merchants ran Venice

Florence • Owned Tuscany • Small group of rich merchants ran government • The de’ Medici family made it the cultural center of Italy & Europe

2. Secular Society • Focus on worldly things • Recurrences of the Plague and ongoing wars shortened lives • Increased wealth + short lives = “eat, drink & be merry” • Not atheistic or anti-Christian

3. Humanistic • Medieval beliefs on life: – mankind is evil – the world is sinful – one’s focuses in life should be avoiding sin & getting to heaven

• Renaissance beliefs on life: – man is made in God’s image and is imperfect, but not evil – the world was created by God and is corrupt, but improvable – one’s focus in life should be on gaining personal knowledge to become a better citizen

The point of Renaissance education is not to create great scholars, but to create great citizens!

A few, good Renaissance Men:

Machiavelli • Wrote “The Prince” • Believed that rulers’ only duty was to build strong city-states • Rulers can & should ignore morality & their consciences • Ends justify means

Leonardo da Vinci • The ultimate “Renaissance Man” • Handsome & popular • Avid mountain climber • Excelled in all areas of the “liberal arts” / art, mathematics, literature, science, invention, etc.

“Renaissance Men” (and women) don’t just try many things. They are great at many things!

What happened to Renaissance Italy?

Wars of Italy • The city-states of Italy had great financial and artistic wealth • Other countries wanted to take it • City-states might be as wealthy as kingdoms, but had fewer people • They had to use their wealth to hire foreign armies to defend them

Wars of Italy • 1494 – France attacks Naples, a large but weak, southern city-state • Nervous that they might be next, but too small for self-defense, the other city-states hired Spain • For 30 years, the Wars of Italy destroyed its once-great cities

Wars of Italy • Thus, the Wars of Italy were fought in Italy, but didn’t really involve any Italian armies • Eventually Spain defeated France • The Spanish army hadn’t been paid, and in 1527, attacked and destroyed Rome for plunder

The Renaissance • The Wars of Italy destroyed Italy • Most of the accomplishments of the Renaissance in Italy were lost • However, by this time, the values and learning of the Renaissance had spread to the rest of Europe, and its legacy was preserved there