Introduction to The Renaissance

Text Chapter 12 (pages 375-381)

The Italian Renaissance

• Renaissance means rebirth • Many Italians between 1350 and

1550 believed they had witnessed a rebirth of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds

• Historians later called this the Renaissance or Italian Renaissance- a period of European history that began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe

Characteristics of the Renaissance

• Urban society • An age of recovery from the

disasters of the 14th century (plague, political instability, and a decline of church power)

• Emphasis on Individual ability – The well rounded, universal person

was capable of achievements in many areas of life. For example, painting, sculpting, architecture, mathematics, inventor, etc…

The Italian States

• Italy was unable to develop a monarchy during the Middle Ages.

• Three city states remained independent and played a critical role in Italian politics–Milan – Venice – Florence

Milan

• Located in Northern Italy• One of the richest city states in

Italy• In the 14th century, members of

the Visconti family established themselves as the dukes of Milan.

• Sforza the new duke in 1447 was the leader of a band of mercenaries – soldiers who sold their services to the highest bidder

Venice

• A link between Asia and Western Europe

• Drew traders from all over the world

• A republic with an elected leader called a doge

• Venice’s trade empire was tremendously profitable and made Venice an international power.

Florence

• Dominated the region of Tuscany• Small but wealthy group of

merchants established control of the government

• The Medici family controlled the politics of the city.

• Florence was a cultural center of Italy

MACHIAVELLI

Machiavelli and the New Statecraft

• Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince• It is one of the most influential works on

political power in the Western world. • Central thesis is how to acquire and keep

political power. • According to Machiavelli, political

activity should not be limited by moral principles

• A prince must act on behalf of the state, even if that meant abandoning his conscience

• Among the first to abandon morality as the basis for politics

Renaissance Society

The Nobility

• Only 2-3% of the population

• Born not made• Classical

education & enrich his life with the arts

• Live gracefully- certain standards of conduct

Peasants & Townspeople • Peasants made up

85 – 90% of the population

• By 1500, more and more peasants became legally free

• Townspeople made up the rest of the third estate

• Mostly merchants & artisans

Urban Renaissance Society

• Patricians- wealthy from trade, industry, and banking

• Burghers- the shopkeepers, artisans, and guild masters and guild members

• Workers- earned pitiful wages and made up 30-40 % of the urban population

• Late 1300’s and early 1400’s poverty increased dramatically.

Family and Marriage • Family bond was a source of great security• To maintain the family, parents carefully

arranged marriages, often to strengthen business or family ties

• Details worked out way in advance, sometimes when children were only 2 or 3 years old

• Father- center of the Italian family; Mother- supervised household- no share in father’s wealth

• Father’s authority absolute until his death or he formally freed his children in court. Age of adulthood ranged from early teens to late twenties.