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9 September 2012

Florence, the cradle of Renaissance

Renaissance, the cultural movement of unprecedented humanism and extolling of

mundane values and knowledge in contrast to medieval theocentrism, originated in Northern

Italy in the beginning of the fourteenth century and was firmly reigning over Western Europe by

the end of the sixteenth century. But it is nowhere else than in Florence that the germs of this

overwhelming reappraisal of values could have sprung. What was so particular about this Italian

city? What were the necessary prerequisites of virtual rebirth of European culture that happened

to have existed in Florence? As a matter of fact, it was a complex mixture of ingredients that

Renaissance was “cooked” of, including exceptional political, cultural and social conditions,

creating an extremely favorable atmosphere for development of a totally innovational mentality.

By the middle of the fifteenth century Florence was a flourishing independent city-state.

This status implied that political power rested in the hands of varying amount of citizens as

distinct from monarchial setup of the majority of European countries, where the feudal

obligations and traditions were still thriving, which inevitably bridled the development of free-

thinking (Cook). Such an autonomous position of the city cannot avoid being compared to that

of ancient Greek polis in its core. However, much unlike ancient times, the city of Florence was

ruled by twelve affluent merchant guilds which assembled at the Palazzo Vecchio to discuss

urgent problems and vote (Barton). Thus, the political life of Florence was boiling with

pluralistic opinions and the large competition in this domain also permeated to arts. Certainly,

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the development of arts required much finance as well and there was no place like Florence to

find wealthy and rivaling patrons.

Being favorably located at the major trading route of Europe, Florence owed its

prosperity to commerce, with the largest source of income being textile manufacture, particularly

woolen clothes. Florentine’s success in international business affairs can be illustrated with the

rapid establishment of florin, the city coinage, as standard throughout Europe (Barton). Another

popular source of revenue was banking in which, among others, the Medici family were

involved. The Medici rule, which marked the returning to monarchial, though quite liberal

system, began with Cosimo Medici in 1429 and lasted to the coming of Savonarola in 1494. It

cost much diplomatic efforts and political intricacy to maintain the hereditary rule for such a

long time, taking into consideration the incessant warfare between city-states and internal

competition. This factor, however, was contributing to formation of new outlook: Jon Cook

argues that the war with Milan, starting in 1402, was a great stimulus to civic humanism (History

Review). A series of repeated lucky avoidances of Milanese conquest led the citizens to believe

they were the “the New Rome” and God’s favorites. Thus, by the start of the Medici epoch, the

citizens had enough freedom, security, wealth and confidence to indulge in cultural growth to

gain ever more resemblance to the chosen people of Rome.

Lorenzo the Magnificent (1469-1492) himself was a notable humanist and ardent book

collector, who definitely set the example to other prosperous patrons of art. To a certain extent it

was vanity that incited the flourishing of arts in Florence, as the sponsors were striving to

override their rivals and show off their wealth. Instead of glorification of God and God only, they

often ordered altar-pieces that would literally glorify themselves. Such a self-display is

characteristic of Florence art protection and can be best demonstrated by the remarkable

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Renaissance fresco “The Holy Trinity” by Masaccio, where the judge Lorenzo Lenzi and his

wife are depicted together with Jesus Christ, God the Father,

John the Baptist and St. Mary.

However prosperous was the city, the Florence

Renaissance would have been certainly impossible without

the immense contribution of individual genius. Fr. Adorno

claims that the destiny of Florence as a major cultural center

was primarily influenced by Francesco Petrarch who

maintained close contacts with the city, although living

elsewhere (9). Together with his spiritual heir Giovanni

Boccaccio, they have passionately cultivated love for ancient

ideals and values in florentine youth. Due to this overwhelming return to antiquity, the new

trends began to pervade all spheres of art. First and foremost, inherent to the Renaissance visual

and plastic art was the unprecedented focus on human personality: whereas in the Middle Ages

art was predominantly sacral and infested with biblical motives and images, now common

people, not only saints, were portrayed more and more often, without total replacing of sacral art,

however. The eyes in the Renaissance

portraits are the eyes of the people who

believe in God, but who are also confident

in their ability to rule their own destiny.

Artists were emphasizing the spiritual side

of human personality, but simultaneously,

the physical side interested them too: the

1. The Holy Trinity by Masaccio

2. The Creation of Adam. Sistine Chapel

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depiction of beautiful and proportional naked human body was by no means considered

blasphemous. Artists turned their glances from the sky to the earth and extolled the palpable

majesty of the surrounding world – hence, the development of landscape painting.

The city of Florence was the native land to the whole constellation of glorified artists.

Among them were Michelangelo Buonarotti and Rafael Santi, whose paintings and sculpture are

considered unsurpassable by now; they used a lot of classical allusions, experimented with linear

perspective and light-shadow proportions, which enabled them to produce images of great

precision, with facial features and gestures helping to communicate the emotional condition of a

person. Filippo Brunellesci was successfully developing perspective in architecture and

explained it mathematical theory. It was natural for Renaissance artists not to restrain themselves

to only one field, but to develop versatile talents. Leonardo da Vinci, who went through

apprenticeship in Florence, is the brightest example of such universality.

The Florence Renaissance is an exceptional phenomenon in European culture: this city-

state happened to have blended successfully the political liberalism, economic wealth,

international renown, social security and unparalleled individual genius by as early as the

fourteenth century to change the whole European mentality drastically and produce innovative

pieces of art, which we are not tired to delight in by now.

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Works Cited

Adorno, Francesco. The World of Renaissance Florence. 1st Edition. Florence: Guinti Gruppo

Editoriale, 1999.

Barton, Sara. “Renaissance Florence”. Nova-online. Nova, 01/07/2003. Web. 9 Feb 2012.

Available at: <http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/Student/Florence/index.html>

Cook, Jon. “Why Renaissance? Why Florence?” History Review 46 (2003). Available at:

<http://www.historytoday.com/jon-cook/why-renaissance-why-florence>