1. Wealth, trade, and the Church
Italian Renaissance
Wealth, trade, and the Church

2. Italian Renaissance ( 1420 - 1600 A.D. )

3. European Population 11th to 14th centuries
Justinian Reformation (533 A.D.)
Black Death 1328

4. Italian City-States 14th, 15th, and 16th Centuries
Power and growth of European Empires
Focus on mono-culturism
Rise of humanistic studies, science, and arts
Unstable political and economic situation

5. Italian City-States (cntd)
14th, 15th, and 16th Centuries
Shift in regional powers
Volatility in economies, trade, social structures
Main Point: economic, social, or political stability are not needed for intellectual and cultural experimentation.

6. Urban Wealth 12th to 13th Centuries-start and apex (Italy) Venice
Concentration of wealth and the church: sin, sin, and damnation of the soul: usury!!
Birth of City-States
Monarchy vs. Regional Autonomy

7. City-States Firenze/Florence: City-State
Medieval Period: Holy Roman Emperor vs. Roman Pope
Space for autonomy
Banking and Trade

8. City-States and Regions in Italy
Early Renaissance
Papal States (Romagna)
Republic of Firenze and Venice
Kingdom of Napoli
Duchy of Milano

9. Concentration of Wealth
Wealth: non-aristocratic vs. nobility
Banking and middle class
City-States: self-funded autonomy
Reorganization of Social Structures
Nobility and Banking interests
Dwindling of nobility power and papacy

10. Social Structure in City-States
Old nobility and merchant class
Emergent capitalists and bankers
Less wealthy merchants and tradespeople
Poor and destitute (1/4 or population, approx)
Domestic slaves

11. Commerce: a blessing or a curse?
Deep class divisions
Gender relations
Slavery (Southern Italy-12th century)
Slaves: Muslims from Spain, North Africa, Crete, the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire.

12. Commerce: a blessing or a curse?
Slavery and domestic service
Ownership: sell and “enjoyment”
Off-spring and freedom
Parental rights
Plantation Slavery: Cyprus and Crete

13. Firenze Role as cultural center Rulers and glorification of wealth
Patrons of arts, sciences, philosophy, architecture, literature
Cosimo de’Medici:
Platonic Academy
Lorenzo and Piero de’Medici ( )

14. Conclusions
Socio-economic and political changes led to intellectual, scientific, and artistic experimentation.
Power struggles btx Roman Emperor and Pope open space for political autonomy in Italy.
Trade and political autonomy facilitated the development of banking industry
Concentration of wealth made possible the rise of City-States, trade, and reorganization of social structures
Deep divisions between social classes: old nobility and merchant class; emergent capitalists and bankers; Less wealthy merchants and tradespeople; poor and destitute and domestic slaves

15. Conclusions
Concentration of wealth ended the influential role of nobility.
Commercial diversity (Sugar Cane Plantations) gave rise to plantation-style slavery during the Renaissance
Church officials rose from the ranks of nobility; strong political roles focused on expanding power
Last but not least: economic, social, or political stability are not needed for intellectual and cultural experimentation

16. Questions?

17. Thank You