Renaissance Vocabulary 25-37
Petrarch – often considered “the father of Italian Renaissance humanism” He looked for
forgotten manuscripts and searched for similar manuscripts in monastery libraries.
Dante – Italian author who wrote in the vernacular. Wrote the Divine Comedy.
Baldassare Castiglione – the Italian who wrote the Book of Courtier
Francesco Sforza – controlled Milan, worked to build a strong centralized state and created an
efficient tax system.
Book of Courtier – written by Castiglione this book describes the characteristics of a perfect
Renaissance noble.
Chaucer – English author who wrote in the vernacular. Wrote the Canterbury Tales.
Leonardo da Vinci – “jack of all trades” famous painter from the Renaissance that mastered the
art of realistic painting.
Divine Comedy – long poem written by Dante. It is about the soul’s journey to salvation.
The Northern Renaissance – artists in northern Europe also became interested in portraying
their world realistically. Painted illustrations for books and wooden panels for altarpieces
because of the lack of room on church walls.
Canterbury Tales – Collection of 29 stories told by pilgrims journeying to the tomb of St.
Thomas a Becket at Canterbury, England. Written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Albrecht Durer – German artist who was greatly affected by the Italian artists. He made 2 trips
to Italy to learn about the laws of perspective.
The High Renaissance – the final stage of Italian Renaissance painting.
Raphael – artist that is best known for his frescoes in the Vatican Palace. Painted the School of
Athens that reveals a world of balance, harmony and order.