1. Chapter 15: The Renaissance
The Italian States

2. Renaissance Italy

3. The Major Italian States
Economics and Politics
5 major Italian regions: Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, and Rome(Papal States)
Milan
14th century Visconti Family
Connected Alps to rest of the Italian trade cities
1447: Francesco Sforza conquered Milan
Did it for the money
Established a strong central government
Established a tax system for the government

4. The Major Italian Cities
Venice
Served as the commercial link between Asia and Western Europe
Established as a republic with a doge as its leader
Reality is that the aristocrats/wealthy merchants ran the city
International power due to its large trading ports

5. The Major Italian Cities
Florence
Established as a republic in the Tuscany region
Started off as a small city but grew through military conquest
1434: Cosimo de Medici
Established the de Medici family as the leaders of Florence
Led Florence to become cultural center of Italy
As cities gain more power, the Church loses power
Girolano Savonarola (Preacher)
Spoke out against the corruption of the Medici family
Drove them to be exiled from Florence

6. The Major Italian Cities
Papal States
Included Rome
Controlled by the Catholic Church
Naples
Only major state that was a monarchy
Conflict in Europe
Italian prosperity led to the French attacking the city states
1494: took control of Naples
Italy called for help from Spain
1527: Rome ransacked by all

7. Machiavelli’s The Prince
Most influential work on politics of the time
Main idea: How does one gain and maintain power?
Set of rules as to how to govern
Morality is unrelated to politics
Must act on behalf of the state
Must be willing to do both good and evil

8. Renaissance Society
3 classes within society: Clergy, Nobility, Peasants
Nobility
Expected to live up to the standards of the Renaissance
Nobles were born not made
Required, character, grace, and talent
The aim was to serve the prince in an effective and honest way
This made a perfect noble

9. Renaissance Society Peasants Patricians Burghers Workers Unemployed
Money from banking, trade, and industry
Burghers
Shopkeepers, artisans, and guild masters
Workers
Unskilled workers
Unemployed

10. Family and Marriage Marriage Family Arranged between family
Designed to strengthen families and business ties
Dowry was given by wife’s family for marriage
Family
Husband/father was center of family
Absolute authority over all in family
Mother supervised household and children

11. Chapter 15: The Renaissance
Ideas and Art of the Renaissance

12. Italian Humanism What is Humanism?
Intellectual movement based on the study of the humanities (grammar, history, philosophy, etc.)
Based on the study of Greek and Roman literature
Use of classical values to revitalize culture
Francesco Petrarch
Father of Italian Renaissance humanism
Use of classical Latin
Establishment of libraries
Emphasized Cicero and Virgil

13. Life of Humanists
To many, the humanist movement was to be a solitary movement
No need for family
By 15th century, movement went into politics
In order to spread movement, vernacular language used even though they pushed Latin only
Dante: The Divine Comedy written in Italian
Soul’s journey to attain Paradise

14. Renaissance Education
Affected by the humanist movement
Less of a push for religion in education
Areas of study
History, grammar, public speaking, logic, poetry, mathematics, music, and ethics
Wanted to produce individuals of virtue and wisdom
Wanted to create well-rounded citizens
Physical education important as well
Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized education and how knowledge was passed into society

15. Italian Renaissance Art
Frescoes
Painting done on fresh wet plaster with water based paint
Tommaso di Giovanni (Masaccio)
Started this period of art
The Tribute Money (Story of the life of Peter)
Used perspective to create 3D images

16. Italian Renaissance Art
Two Major Developments in Painting
1. Importance of the technical aspect of painting
Understanding perspective
Organization of outdoor space
Light through geometry
2. Investigation of movement and human anatomy
Realistic portrayals of individuals
Greater use of human nudes

17. Example: David (Michelangelo)

18. Renaissance Sculpture
Donatello
Studied Greek and Roman Statues
Free standing statues

19. Renaissance Architecture
Inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Rome
Brunelleschi
Classical columns
Rounded arches
Large exterior domes
Open airy spaces

20. Example-Church of San Lorenzo

21. The High Renaissance (1490-1520)
Leonardo da Vinci
The “Renaissance man”
Artist, inventor, scientist
Master of realistic painting
Mona Lisa

22. The High Renaissance (1490-1520)
Raphael Sanzio
Well known for madonnas (paintings of Mary)
School of Athens
Balance, harmony, and order (what Greek and Roman art stood for)

23. The High Renaissance (1490-1520)
Michelangelo
The Sistine Chapel