The Renaissance

The Renaissance

A cultural re-awakening in Europe after the devastation of the 14th Century (1300s). Begins modern history.

New push for individualism Time of great artistic and cultural

achievements, though these don’t apply to the masses

The Beginning of the Renaissance

The Renaissance begins in northern Italy (technically, still part of the HRE but functioned as a conglomeration of city-states)

Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Genoa

Unique factors of northern Italy Wealthy through trade and commerce,

not agriculture Nobility had to share power Centers of education and free thought

Phases of the RenaissanceThere is no single date which begins the Renaissance1350-1400 General decline of European society, until a rediscovery

of ancient Greek and Roman literature (thanks, Crusades)

Lots of social experimentation (feudalism? towns?) To a certain extent, the Plague provided a clean slate1400-1500 Renaissance thrives in Italy, new thoughts glorified Italy becomes more stable/peaceful Values become uniform1500-1550 Italy invaded by Spain and France—Renaissance ideas

spread

Humanism

A new outlook on life inspired by the newly discovered works of ancient Greece and Rome

Previously, medieval scholars tried to fit everything into a Christian mold—everything we do and know should be based on God’s work and salvation

Humanism ignored religion and focused on the here and now

HumanismHumanism—a Renaissance philosophy that

urges followers to focus on human, rather than religious, matters. Inspired by ancient Greek and Roman beliefs.

We should focus our energies on this world It is important to live well and do one’s civic

duty It is our duty to learn about the world around

us and discover how it works Didn’t attack the Church, but sought to

incorporate other ideas

HumanismPetrarch and Boccaccio considered the fathers of Humanism

Humanism featured two concepts: Secularism—a focus on realities of the world,

ignoring religious preachings Individualism—people should explore their own

interests

Humanist Giovanna Pico made two arguments in his classic text, Oration and Dignity of Man: Man has the ability and freedom to shape his own

life Man has the ability to understand and control nature

An “Urban” Renaissance

To a large extent, Renaissance ideas thrived mainly in urban areas

Many city-dwellers felt free to enjoy themselves already

Wealthy nobles patronized the arts, Medici family

Women in Renaissance environments enjoyed more freedom than those living ‘medievally’

Renaissance Politics

Renaissance thinkers came to see government as a secular (non-religious) institution

People have a civic duty to obey their govt Leaders have a responsibility to govern in

the best interest of their citizens

European leaders not in Renaissance areas—monarchs and nobles—touted their roles as deities: divine right to rule

Machiavelli Machiavelli (1469-1527)

was a humanist, historian, and philosopher from Florence

Machiavelli’s arguments in The Prince:

Good leaders know that the means, even if immoral, justify the end

Religion can be used as a tool to manipulate

Renaissance Economics Trade flourished in the northern Italian city-

states Influenced by humanism, people began to

pursue wealth and material happiness Explosion in the value of artwork,

especially among nobles City-dwellers now have money to spend

too (rise of the middle class, guilds, etc.)

Renaissance ArtRenaissance art reflected individualism, secular achievement, and worldly values Three main areas: painting, sculpture, architecturePainters experienced with perspective: shading and

proportion Giotto: pre-Renaissance, painted frescoes, three

dimensional figures, illusion of movement Brunelleschi: used perspective mathematically,

architect Van Eyck: northern Europe, secular paintings Botticelli:

Some Renaissance artists excelled in more than one domain, and are better known today: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael

Giovanni Danato’s Crucifixion

• 1495 fresco• Held in the Church

and Covenant of Santa Maria delle Grazzi in Milan facing da Vinci’s Last Supper

Brunelleschi’s Dome, Florence

• 1436 Florence, Italy• Bascilica of St. Mary

of the Flower

Jan Van Eyck’sArnolfini Marriage

• 1453, oil on oak• Wedding of Italian

merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife

• Considered one of the more complex paintings in Western art because of the iconography and the use of the mirror to reflect space

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus

• Commissioned for the Medici family in 1486• Neoplatonic interpretation, the idea of divine

love in the form of a nude Venus

Raphael’s St. Catherine of Alexandria

• The breaking wheel, or Catherine wheel, was a medieval torture device

• Catherine of Alexandria was sentenced to death by the wheel after refusing to denounce her Christian faith. It is said that the wheel broke as soon as she touched it. Consequently, she was beheaded.

The Protestant Reformation The Church underwent a number of changes in

the Middle Ages From time to time, critics appeared but were

always silenced by the Church Generally speaking, the average European

peasant had very limited knowledge of Christianity despite being devoutly religious Christianity was a mix of a lot of local beliefs Service was in Latin, an extinct language (for

speaking) No access to the Bible—couldn’t read anyway

Important early reformers: Wycliffe, Hus, Luther

John Wycliffe (1320 – 1384) Schoolteacher in Oxford, England who argued:

the Church did not control individuals’ fates Sacraments not necessary to be saved

Lots of support from the English nobility who resented the Church’s power Attacked the Church’s wealth

His reform attempts failed, but his supporters (called Lollards) continued to promote his ideas after his death

Jan Hus (1369 – 1415) Bohemian native, part of the Holy Roman

Empire Attacked the Church’s power and called for

independence Caught and burned at the stake His followers revolted and broke with the

Church

Church Problems During the Avignon Papacy period (1309-

1377) several of the Papal States gained their independence

When the papacy returned to Rome, Popes were elected based on their leadership skills, not their spirituality

Financial issues meant the Church turned into a money-making enterprise Tithe—10% of pay given to the Church (not

new, just enforced more) Indulgences—selling forgiveness, passages

to Heaven Concept of purgatory developed—the “in

between” zone souls rest in awaiting Judgment Day

Martin Luther (1483-1546)Priest and Professor of Theology at the University of Whittenburg who argued that faith is all that’s needed for salvation In 1517 Luther challenged priest Johann Tetzel on

selling indulgences to build St. Peter’s Bascilica 95 Theses Luther nailed his criticisms to Tetzel’s

church’s door causing a huge stir in the HRE When the Church formally excommunicated him,

Luther publicly burned the memo The HR Emperor summoned Luther for a formal

apology, but he refused to recant Formed the Lutheran Church

The Lutheran ChurchCharacteristics of the Lutheran Church Stressed an individual relationship with God Service in the language of the congregation Statues and all iconography removed Only two sacraments: baptism and

communion Lutheran communion is symbolic

(consubstantiation) Catholic communion is literal

(transubstantiation: Mark 14:22-24, Jesus says “This is my body… This is my blood…”)

Not much change made in the service, Lutheran Mass still very similar to Catholic Mass. Begins the Reformation.

The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) The Protestant Reformation is the schism

within Western Christianity (not to be confused with the schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox church!) which began by Martin Luther. Luther’s break with the Roman Catholic church led

to the creation of new Protestant (non-Catholic) churches across northern Europe

Ulrich Zwingli (1484 – 1531)Swiss priest who studied humanism and the works of Erasmus, brought the Reformation to Switzerland Argued that whatever tradition was not written in

Scripture should not be practiced Attacked the custom of fasting during Lent Promoted clerical marriage Attacked iconography

Introduced a new communion liturgy to replace the Mass

Led an attack on the the traditional Catholic cantons in Switzerland and died in battle at age 47

John Calvin 1509 - 1564French theologian and reformer who emphasized strict obedience and extreme morality Introduced the concept of predestination—

God has already predetermined who is saved Developed the Christian theology of Calvinism

(In the US, this is the Presbyterian Church) 1555 Charles V’s Peace of Augsburg “cuius

regio, eius religio:” the ruler of the land determines the religion of the land

The Protestant Reformation in EnglandThe Reformation in England was political rather than religious When the Pope refused to grant Henry VIII a

divorce from his Hapsburg wife, the king created his own church and appointed himself the head of it—the Anglican Church (In the US, this is the Episcopal church)

Henry’s oldest daughter Mary I tried to restore Catholicism in England through terror

Elizabeth I secured the Anglican Church’s permanency

Reformation ProblemsIn France, very brutal fighting between Catholics and Protestants began in the 1560s 1589 Edict of Nantes protected Protestants,

though the king and country remained wholly Catholic

Throughout Europe, radical Protestant groups emerged Anabaptists practiced adult baptism, lived in

communes, practiced polygamy

The Counter-ReformationIn response to all of the breaking-away by Protestant groups, the Catholic church decided to clean its act up Counter-Reformation led by Jesuits (Society

of Jesus), a new order of Catholic reformers founded by Ignatius Loyola who emphasized the reform of corrupt practices “Ad majorem Dei gloriam” for the greater glory of

God 1545-1563 Council of Trent lays out a series

of reforms for the Catholic church, begins the Counter-Reformation

Christian Europe and the Wars of ReligionAs a result of the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation Northern Europe (except Catholic Ireland)

remained largely Protestant Southern Europe remained largely Catholic Central Europe was a site of fierce conflict

that escalated to full-scale war

Mass Media and the Exchange of Information and Ideas Johannes Gutenburg’s printing press in

1439 played a huge role in the Reformation and the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment and the Scientific

Revolution, but that’s for World Civ II ;)

THE END!!!