Intro to the Renaissance

The Renaissance “This century like a golden age has restored to light the liberal arts, which were almost extinct: grammar, poetry, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, and music”- Marsolio Ficino Renaissance=Rebirth

Why Italy? Reawakening of ancient Roman Empire-reminders of former ancient glory remained. Northern City-states like Florence, Milan, Venice, Genoa were prosperous trade centers Wealthy merchant class promoted the arts and learning Florence and the Medici Family Rich banker family came to rule the government Lorenzo ‘the Magnificent’ was a generous patron of the arts

What was the Renaissance? A New World view: New attitudes toward culture and learning Ideal of the ‘Renaissance Man’, a person with talents in many fields Humanism: An intellectual movement that focused on worldly subjects rather than religious issues Focus on humanities taught in Greek and roman schools Poetry, History, Grammar and Rhetoric along with ancient Greek and Roman writings