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Introduction to The Renaissance
Text Chapter 12 (pages 375-381)
The Italian Renaissance
• Renaissance means rebirth • Many Italians between 1350 and
1550 believed they had witnessed a rebirth of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds
• Historians later called this the Renaissance or Italian Renaissance- a period of European history that began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe
Characteristics of the Renaissance
• Urban society • An age of recovery from the
disasters of the 14th century (plague, political instability, and a decline of church power)
• Emphasis on Individual ability – The well rounded, universal person
was capable of achievements in many areas of life. For example, painting, sculpting, architecture, mathematics, inventor, etc…
The Italian States
• Italy was unable to develop a monarchy during the Middle Ages.
• Three city states remained independent and played a critical role in Italian politics–Milan – Venice – Florence
Milan
• Located in Northern Italy• One of the richest city states in
Italy• In the 14th century, members of
the Visconti family established themselves as the dukes of Milan.
• Sforza the new duke in 1447 was the leader of a band of mercenaries – soldiers who sold their services to the highest bidder
Venice
• A link between Asia and Western Europe
• Drew traders from all over the world
• A republic with an elected leader called a doge
• Venice’s trade empire was tremendously profitable and made Venice an international power.
Florence
• Dominated the region of Tuscany• Small but wealthy group of
merchants established control of the government
• The Medici family controlled the politics of the city.
• Florence was a cultural center of Italy
MACHIAVELLI
Machiavelli and the New Statecraft
• Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince• It is one of the most influential works on
political power in the Western world. • Central thesis is how to acquire and keep
political power. • According to Machiavelli, political
activity should not be limited by moral principles
• A prince must act on behalf of the state, even if that meant abandoning his conscience
• Among the first to abandon morality as the basis for politics
Renaissance Society
The Nobility
• Only 2-3% of the population
• Born not made• Classical
education & enrich his life with the arts
• Live gracefully- certain standards of conduct
Peasants & Townspeople • Peasants made up
85 – 90% of the population
• By 1500, more and more peasants became legally free
• Townspeople made up the rest of the third estate
• Mostly merchants & artisans
Urban Renaissance Society
• Patricians- wealthy from trade, industry, and banking
• Burghers- the shopkeepers, artisans, and guild masters and guild members
• Workers- earned pitiful wages and made up 30-40 % of the urban population
• Late 1300’s and early 1400’s poverty increased dramatically.
Family and Marriage • Family bond was a source of great security• To maintain the family, parents carefully
arranged marriages, often to strengthen business or family ties
• Details worked out way in advance, sometimes when children were only 2 or 3 years old
• Father- center of the Italian family; Mother- supervised household- no share in father’s wealth
• Father’s authority absolute until his death or he formally freed his children in court. Age of adulthood ranged from early teens to late twenties.
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