Renaissance Notes
I. INTELLECTUAL, RELIGIOUS, & POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 15TH & 16TH CENTURIES
A. Chapter 17: European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600
A.1. Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance
A.1.a.i. Setting the Stage
The late Middle Ages saw a suffering Europe. The plague and war took their toll, and the survivors began to question the Church, and their spirit of survival inspired northern Italian writers and artists to begin experimenting with different styles.
a. Italy’s Advantages
The Renaissance, meaning rebirth, refers to the revival of art and learning that began in Italy and lasted from about 1300-1600.
The educated people of Italy sought to being back the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome, and invented innovative styles of art and literature, as well as shed light on the importance of the individual.
Italy’s thriving cities, wealthy merchant class, and classical heritage of Greece and Rome made it the birthplace of the Renaissance.
i. City-States
Overseas trade brought on by the Crusades led to the growth of large city-states in northern Italy.
With the large city-states and sizeable towns, northern Italy was urban versus the rest of Europe being mostly rural.
The cities were an ideal place for an intellectual revolution as they are places where ideas are often exchanged.
When the bubonic plague struck in the 1300s, 60% of the populations of these cities were killed, and this mean that the fewer laborers could demand higher wages, and with fewer opportunities to expand business, merchants began to pursue interests such as art. ii. Merchants and the Medici
A wealthy merchant class developed in each Italian city-state.
Small city-states like Milan and Florence had a high percentage of citizens that could be intensely involved in political life.
Merchants dominated politics
Merchants didn’t inherit social rank like nobles.
Many successful merchants believed they deserved power and wealth because of their individual merit.
Since the
A. Chapter 17: European Renaissance and Reformation, 1300-1600
A.1. Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance
A.1.a.i. Setting the Stage
The late Middle Ages saw a suffering Europe. The plague and war took their toll, and the survivors began to question the Church, and their spirit of survival inspired northern Italian writers and artists to begin experimenting with different styles.
a. Italy’s Advantages
The Renaissance, meaning rebirth, refers to the revival of art and learning that began in Italy and lasted from about 1300-1600.
The educated people of Italy sought to being back the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome, and invented innovative styles of art and literature, as well as shed light on the importance of the individual.
Italy’s thriving cities, wealthy merchant class, and classical heritage of Greece and Rome made it the birthplace of the Renaissance.
i. City-States
Overseas trade brought on by the Crusades led to the growth of large city-states in northern Italy.
With the large city-states and sizeable towns, northern Italy was urban versus the rest of Europe being mostly rural.
The cities were an ideal place for an intellectual revolution as they are places where ideas are often exchanged.
When the bubonic plague struck in the 1300s, 60% of the populations of these cities were killed, and this mean that the fewer laborers could demand higher wages, and with fewer opportunities to expand business, merchants began to pursue interests such as art. ii. Merchants and the Medici
A wealthy merchant class developed in each Italian city-state.
Small city-states like Milan and Florence had a high percentage of citizens that could be intensely involved in political life.
Merchants dominated politics
Merchants didn’t inherit social rank like nobles.
Many successful merchants believed they deserved power and wealth because of their individual merit.
Since the