The Renaissance
Terms: Humanism- focus on human potential
Petrarch- Italian poet, scholar, and humanist
Florence - city in Italy that ranked among the richest merchants and bankers in Europe
Patron- financial supporters of the arts
Leonardo- artist, inventor
Perspective- an attitude toward a thing regarding something; point of view
Michelangelo- sculptor, architect, poet
Raphael- artists who blended Christian and classical styles
Niccolo Machiavelli- Italian Renaissance political philosopher and statesman who wrote a guide for rulers on how to gain and maintain power
Johann Gutenburg- introduced printing to Europe with the printing press.
Flanders- Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium
Vernacular- speech variety used in everyday life by the general population in a geographical or social territory
Thomas More- Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer
Utopia- an ideal place
Shakespeare- an English playwright, poet, and actor
Questions:
1. What were the main characteristics of the Renaissance?
● Humanism
● Perspective
● individualism
2. Why was Italy a favorable setting for the Renaissance? What did they offer other countries did not?
Italy was wealthy and had been the center of the Roman Empire.
3. Pick one Renaissance artist and write a speech as if you are introducing them before they get ready to speak at a conference. Write their credentials and promote the speaker. I'll introduce you to one of the world’s greatest artists of all time. He was a painter, architect, and inventor. His most famous works are the Mona Lisa and the Last
Supper. Da Vinci received no formal education beyond basic reading, writing, and math, but his father appreciated his artistic talent and apprenticed him at around age 15 to
Andrea del Verrocchio.
4. How did Renaissance writings express realism? Renaissance writings express realism through books that have to do with everyday life and situations.

5. How was the Renaissance worldview different from that of the middle ages? The middle ages worldview was shaped by religion. In contrast, the Renaissance worldview was shaped by inquiry and exploration.
6. What themes did Northern Renaissance artists explore? Renaissance artists explored religious, realism, classical themes. They focussed on the human form and daily life.
7. Write a letter to a Northern Renaissance revolutionists and tell them what impresses you about their accomplishments. Then tell them how you feel they impacted history. Dear
William Skakespeare, your accomplishments are very impressive. Your plays showed a deep understanding of people and how they interact with one another. People still read your work even today. People preform your plays with great emotion.