1. Renaissance The Renaissance Begins

2. Monday April 25, 2016 Homework: Test – 5/19 and 5/20 Faire Stuff Focus: 1.Get handout for today – it is yours to keep. 2.Pen/Pencil/Highlighter 3.We’re gonna read, discuss, and answer questions today

3. The Renaissance Renaissance means “rebirth”. The years from about 1350 to 1600 AD in European history are called the Renaissance because there was a rebirth of interest in the works and ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans. After the horrors of the Black Death, Europeans wanted to learn how to make their own society better. Europeans also began to stress the importance of the individual. They believed that people could make a difference and change the world for the better. People were still very religious during the Renaissance, but they also began to celebrate human achievements. People became more secular, or more interested in this world than in religion and getting to Heaven.

4. The Italian Peninsula 1. Italy had been the center of the Roman Empire. Ruins and art, of the ancient Greeks and Romans, surrounded the Italians 2. Italian cities were RICH from the trade routes which were re-opened by the Crusades. 3. City-States competed with each other to make their city-state the BEST – wealth, power, pretty decorations, etc. Cities were large places full of people – more customers for artists and more money for art. Also, lots of people led to more discussion and sharing of ideas.

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7. The Rise of Italy’s City-States No ruler was able to unite Italy into a single kingdom. 1. The Roman Catholic Church did everything to stop the rise of a powerful Italy – so no ruler would be able to control the pope and the Church! 2. The city-states were about equal in strength and size, even in fighting wars and battles. 3. Most important reason…….they were VERY wealthy. With great wealth, they built large fleets of ships and hire mercenaries (soldiers for hire) to fight in their military. The city-states loaned money to the kings of Europe. The kings left the city-states alone so they could borrow more money in the future.

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9. Italy’s City-States Grow Wealthy The Italian city-states became wealthy through trade. 1.The geographic features and location of the Italian Peninsula made is favorable for merchant ships to dock. Also, they were close to three continents. A. Byzantines, Turks, and Arabs = silks and spices = to Western Europe B. Spanish, French, Dutch, and English = wool, wine, and glass = Middle East C. Italian artisans (craftsmen) took raw materials and made goods to be sold for higher prices. 2. The Crusades brought Italian merchants in contact with Arab merchants. 3. The Mongol Empire united almost all of Asia into one vast trade network. Goods from Asia arrived safely and in large quantities, under the protection of the Mongols, thus making goods more affordable and readily available.

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12. Marco Polo 1. Europeans were fascinated with Asia and its goods after reading a book written by the Venetian (Venice) merchant Marco Polo. In the 1270s, Marco Polo went on a journey with his father and uncle to China. 2. They met Kublai Khan, the ruler of the Mongol Empire, and worked for the emperor for many years. Polo traveled all over China, asking questions, and learning more about Asia, than any other European at that time.

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14. The Wealth of Florence Most Famous City 1. Florence’s wealth came from trading cloth, especially wool. Merchants sailed to England to get sheep’s wool. Artisans in Florence then wove it into fine fabrics. 2. Another way of making money was banking. With goods pouring into Italy from around the world, merchants needed to know the value of coins from different countries. Florentine bankers were experts – they used the Florin, the gold coin of Florence, to measure the value of other money. Bankers also began lending money and charging interest (a fee). Florence’s richest family, the Medici, were bankers. They had branch banks all over Europe.

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16. The Rise of Venice The wealthiest city-state was Venice. 1. The Venetians were great sailors and shipbuilders. They built their city on many small, swampy islands, just off the coast. Instead of paving roads, the Venetians cut canals through their swampy islands and used boats to move about, even today! 2. Some of Venice’s wealth came from building ships. Artisans worked on ships at a shipyard known as the Arsenal. Teams of workers cut the wood, shaped it into hulls, caulked (or sealed) the wood, and made sails and oars. 3. Venice also grew wealthy from using their location, and ships, to trade. The entire eastern Mediterranean was controlled by the Venetian Republic. From there, Venetians continued trading amongst may countries. 4. Additionally, Venice, became known for its glassmaking – Venetian Glass – on the island of Murano. Glass brought great wealth to Venice. Some of the most important brands of glass in the world today, are still produced in the historical glass factories on Murano, including Barovier & Toso, having been founded in 1295.

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19. The Urban Noble - Aristocrats The wealthy were a new type of leader – the urban noble or Aristocrats. 1. Before this time, European nobles got their wealth from land, not trade. In fact, they looked down on trade and believed themselves to be above the town merchants. 2. In Italy, old noble families moved to the cities – there they mixed with wealthy merchants and decided that money from trade was just as good as money from land. Meanwhile, wealthy merchants copied the manners and lifestyle of noble families. 3. Soon, the sons and daughters of nobles and rich merchants were marrying each other. Eventually, the old nobles and wealthy merchant families blended together to become the upper class of Italian society.

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21. Politics of the City-States 1. Many city-states were Republics, in which elected representatives ruled for the citizens. Not everyone was a citizen, however, only the artisans and merchants who had membership in the city’s guilds, were citizens. 2. Eventually, wealthy families, and nobles took control, often fighting one another for power. This made politics “complicated”. Within each city, the rulers had to keep the poor from rebelling and prevent other wealthy people from seizing power. They had to make deals with merchants, bankers, landlords, church leaders, and mercenaries. At the same time, they had to deal with the leaders of other city-states! 3. Diplomacy was developed. It is the art of negotiating, or making deals, with other people/countries. Each city-State sent ambassadors to live in other city- states and act as representatives for their city. 4. Modern countries continue this practice of diplomacy – some are better than others!

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23. Focus Questions 1. What historical events allowed the Renaissance to begin? 2. Why did the Renaissance begin on the Italian Peninsula? 3. Describe life in the city-states culturally. AND politically. AND Economically.