1. The Renaissance
Today’s Goal: Describe the major causes & effects of the Renaissance
This includes political, intellectual, artistic, economic, and religious effects: a lot!

2. What was the Renaissance?
A great rebirth of culture, based on classical Greek and Roman (Greco-Roman) ideas and art, that began in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and spread throughout Europe

3. What caused this amazing Renaissance?
Cause 1: Travel
In the Late Middle Ages, Merchants and Crusaders brought back goods & learning from the East
Classical learning that had been preserved in the Byzantine Empire and by Muslim Scholars (remember the Islamic Empire)
Cause 2: Studying ancient manuscripts
Scholars started collecting & reading ancient manuscripts (books) preserved in Catholic monasteries
Cause 3: Artistic Inspiration
Artists and architects studied classical statues/buildings & became inspired

4. Also… Life in Medieval Europe/The Middle Ages/The Dark Ages was HARD.
Think back to the DBQ last class.
Feudalism, wars, invasions, slaughter, Crusades, plagues…
Now, Europeans began to be exposed to the idea that there was more to life than simply work, suffering & dying
They embraced it!
Of course, this applied more to the middle & upper classes… the majority of people were still focused on daily survival

5. What effects did the Renaissance have?
Stunning new art & buildings
New focus on reason & logic, especially in theological (religious) debate
How would this effect the power of the church?
New ideas about life
Hospitals & universities created
universities gave degrees in law, philosophy, theology, medicine
Influenced by classical Greek thinkers like Aristotle In addition to art, Classicism (the study of the Greco-Roman intellectual tradition) also resulted in…

8. No need to write any notes on this!

9. Side by Side Comparison
Classical
Medieval
Renaissance
Purpose of the Art
Shows importance of ordinary people, civic leaders, gods and goddesses
Teach religion to people who were illiterate
Show importance of people and nature
Style Characteristics
Detailed and realistic
Minimal details
No background
Halos used to indicate who was holy
Not realistic
Realistic
Emphasis on individual

10. Growth of Trade and Commerce
Increased trade – More Contact between East and West – Diffusion of Ideas & Information
Where in your notes can you already find two examples of this? Note them here.
Byzantine and Islamic preservation of classical works
Italian cities like Venice were centrally located on the trade routes that linked the rest of western Europe to the East
Increased trade in Asia (Silk Road)
Mongol conquests in Asia made it safer for traders to travel along the Silk Road to China – Pax Mongolica
Marco Polo’s tales of travel encouraged interest in the East

11. Effects of Growth in Trade and Commerce
A bustling economy
created prosperous cities
use of coins, not bartering
A money economy also encourages trade and commerce
Merchants and bankers grew very rich
Could afford to make their cities beautiful
Wealthy patrons (rich families) could pay for
New buildings and art
Universities

13. Growth of City-states
Cause 1: Renaissance began in Italy’s city-states because they were wealthy due to trade
Central Mediterranean location in middle of trade routes People came from all over Europe to buy, sell and do banking ($$!)
Cause 2: No kings- independent!
City got to keep money from trade and taxes (not going to some far off King)
City got to make their own laws
Cause 3: Typically run by elected councils (often rich families)
Medici family in Florence
These rich families paid artists to create art
Led to an explosion of art in Italy!

14. Some Italian city-states developed specializations
Some Italian city-states developed specializations. Florence became a center for cloth making and banking. Milan produced metal goods and armor. The port city of Genoa was a trade center for ivory and gold from northern Africa. Venice, the most powerful city state, had hundreds of ships that controlled the trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea. Silk, spices and perfume from Asia flowed into Venice.

15. Effects of city-states on renaissance?
Great wealth and desire to compete with fellow city states
Rich families in each city-state paid for creation of
buildings
statues
paintings
Universities
Hospitals
From there, Renaissance ideas spread to the rest of Europe –(cultural diffusion)
Some Italian city-states developed specializations. Florence became a center for cloth making and banking. Milan produced metal goods and armor. The port city of Genoa was a trade center for ivory and gold from northern Africa. Venice, the most powerful city state, had hundreds of ships that controlled the trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea. Silk, spices and perfume from Asia flowed into Venice.