The Renaissance

Section 1 Renaissance – means rebirth, revival of art and learning. Begins in Northern Italy, with the ideas of humanism. The Crusades started trading, which lead to city-states, the birthplace of ideas.

A wealthy merchant class, becomes the leaders of the city- states. Lorenzo de Medici – a powerful banker becomes the leader in Florence in 1469.

Renaissance scholars looked down on the Middle Ages, they wanted to get back to the days of Roman and Greek culture. Humanism – an intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements.

Humanism Secular – the idea to be more worldly rather than spiritual, focus on here and now. Patron – financially supporting an artist to create works.

Italian Artists Perspective – a painting technique which shows three dimensions on a flat surface. Italian Renaissance Artists: Michelangelo Donatello Leonardo da Vinci Raphael Anguissola (female) Gentileschi (female)

Vernacular – the everyday language of people in a region or country. Italian Writers: Dante (poet) Petrarch (scholar/poet) Giovanni Boccaccio Machiavelli (adviser) Vittoria Colonna (female poet)

Petrarch (Francesco Pratrarca) – born 1304 in Arezzo Italy. Known as the Father of Humanism was a scholar and poet. He first gave the “Dark Ages” its name.