Chapter 12
Recovery & Rebirth: The
Age of the Renaissance
Characteristics of the Italian
Renaissance
 An Urban society
 These city states became the centers of Italian political,
economic, & social life
 Secular spirit
 Increasing wealth created new possibilities
 Classics
 Italian Intellectuals became more interested in the Greco-Roman
culture of the ancient world.
 Individualism
 Revived emphasis on individual ability
 Elite Movement
 Achievements of the Italian Renaissance were the product of an
elite rather than a mass movement
5 ideas of the Renaissance
 Use these 5 ideas when looking at art from the period
1) INDIVIDUALISM
2) WORLDLINESS
3) REFORM
4) LEARNING
5) ANTIQUITY
Which of the 5 Ideas of the Renaissance do you see in this
painting by Rafael?
The Making Of Renaissance Society
 Economic Recovery
 By the 14th Century Italian merchants had a flourishing trade
 Italians came into contact w/ the Hanseatic League, who controlled
trade along the North Sea.
 By 1500 more than 80 cities in Northern Europe belonged to the league
 The rise of Large centralized states brought a decline to the Hanseatic
League
 By the start of the 15th Century Italian trade was flourishing &
luxury industries were expanding.
 Luxury industries included:
 Silk, glassware, metal working & precious stones
 New industries also developed in Printing, mining & metallurgy
 Mining & Metal working led to the development of Firearms
Florence, Queen City of the
Renaissance
 Florence regained its preeminence in Banking mostly
due to the Medici family.
 THE HOUSE of MEDICI (de Medici) – was the greatest
banking house in Europe.
 They were the principal bankers for the papacy
 Lorenzo de Medici’s son became POPE LEO X (1513-1521)
 The Medici’s influenced politics in Italy & France for
many years to come but the Banking House itself
collapsed in 1494. (notice the date ?!)
Piero de Lorenzo de
Medici
Lorenzo de Medici – the Magnificent
Class System in Renaissance Italy
 The Nobility
 Constituted between 2 & 3 % of the total population.
 They served as military officers & held important political posts including
advisers to the King
 Northern Europe – the flourishing of chivalry began in earnest
 The Book of the Courtier, 1528 by BALDASSARE CASTIGLIONE – in the
book he describes 3 basic attributes to the Perfect courtier
1.
2.
3.
Nobles should posses an impeccable character (grace, talents & noble
birth)
As a Knight/Noble they had to have military skill, as well as a Classical
education, playing a musical instrument, drawing or painting.
They were expected to make good impression:
 Modest, grace & show their accomplishments w/ humility and live an active
life in service to their prince.
Courtier Following the Last Royal Edict
in 1633 and His Lacquey
by Abraham Bosse
Social Classes of the 3rd Estate
 Peasants made up approx. 85-90% of the total population
 (exceptions were in Flanders & Urbanized areas of Northern Italy)
 By the end of the 15th century more peasants were becoming legally
free.
(exceptions were in Eastern Europe, especially Russia ,were nobles were able to tie
their peasants to the land.
Townspeople were the remainder of the 3rd estate & had their own
class divisions
PATRICIANS – wealth from capitalistic enterprises, they dominated
urban communities economically, socially, & politically
PETTY BURGHERS – shop keepers & guild masters
GUILD MEMBERS – concerned w/ providing goods & services for
consumption
UNEMPLOYED – living squalid & miserable lives (made up 30 to 40%
of Urban populations)
Slavery in the Renaissance
 Slavery was reborn in Spain during the wars between the
Christians & Muslims.
 Why?
 Black Death led Italians to reintroduce slavery.
 1363 – Florence gov’t. authorized unlimited importation of foreign
slaves
 Most slaves were female & came from the Black Sea Region
 Bet. 1414 & 1423 10,000 slaves were sold on the Venetian Market.
 SLAVERY DIES OUT:
 By end of 15th Century many slaves had been freed by their owners
 Turkish take over of the Byzantine Empire closed the Black Sea Slave
Markets to the Italians
 Bet. 1444 & 1505 the Portuguese imported 140,000 slaves from Africa
but by the 16th century the # of blacks in Europe was very small.
THE FAMILY IN RENAISSANCE ITALY
 Extended family lived together or near each other.
 Vendetta – a crime committed by one family member fell on the entire
family. Retaliation involved large #’s of people & were bloody. (think of
Romeo & Juliet)
 Marriages – were arranged to strengthen business or family ties.
 The girl had to have a dowry
 The size of the dowry was an indication of whether the bride was moving up or
down in social status.
 Family life
 Father/husband was the center of family life. A father’s authority over his
children was ABSOLUTE.
 Adulthood for children came only when the father went before a judge & formally
emancipated them.
 Wife managed the household & was bearer of children. (this woman was
managing households of 50 to 100 people counting the servants w/ the
extended family – like a mini CEO)
 Upper Class wives gave birth to MORE children because they did NOT
breast feed
 10% of women died in child birth
 50% of all children died before the age of 20
Romeo & Juliet – fight in the town center ---- Vendetta
 Extramarital relationships were the norm for men but some
women faced sever consequences
 Duke Filippo Visconti of Milan caught his wife having an affair w/ a
court musician & had her executed.
 Men married for the 1st time in their 30’s & early 40’s
 Women were 16 t0 18 years old
 Prostitution – was a common outlet for the men
 Florence 1415 – laws regulating communal brothels were passed
 Churches had sections for prostitutes who had to wear red hats w/ little
tinkling bells on them.
Italian States in the Renaissance
 By the 15th Century 5 major powers dominated the Italian
Peninsula
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Milan
Venice
Florence
The Papal States
The Kingdom of Naples
 Each of these states ruled the people differently which led to the
disparity between northern & southern Italy that exists to this day.
 MILAN
 1447 – The last VISCONTI Duke died & FRANCESCO SFORZA, a
Condottieri, took over the city & became the new duke.
 His system of taxation generated enormous revenues for the government
and allowed business to flourish
 Today is the industrial heart of Italy & the fashion capital of the world.
 VENICE
 Remained under the stable control of a merchant oligarchy.
 Its commercial empire brought in so much money that Venice was
considered an “International Power”
 When Venice tried to expand its territory – Milan & Florence worked
together to stop them.
 Today Venice is a tourist haven that is falling into the Adriatic.
 FLORENCE
 Dominated Tuscany (still does)
 Governed by a merchant oligarchy (dominated by the Medici)
 1434 – COSIMO DE’ MEDICI (1434-1464) Took control of the oligarchy
through his lavish patronage & careful courting of political allies.
 Cosimo & his grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent (1469-1492) dominated
Florence
Cosimo De Medici on the left &
Lorenzo de Medici on the right
 The Papal States
 The Great Schism lost some territory of the papal states
 Urbino, Bologna, & Ferrara to name a few
 During the renaissance the popes tried to reestablish their control
over the papal states.
 Especially Pope Julius II (1503-1513) who was called the “Warrior Pope” &
had special armor made for himself in papal white.
 The Kingdom of Naples
 The Kingdom of Naples was fought over between the French &
Spanish. By the time the wars were over Spain under the House of
Aragon won but later in history it went to the Hapsburg Empire of
Austria.
 The Kingdom of Naples remained a FEUDAL MONARCHY w/
poverty stricken peasants that had no hope of rising in the ranks.
There were a # of independent city states
that became centers of Renaissance
culture
 URBINO
 Ruled by the MONTEFELTRO family who were also condottiere.
 Federigo de Montefeltro (1444-1482) was a good ruler & solider
 He could walk in the streets of Urbino w/o bodyguards b/c he was loved by
his people.
 He was honest & reliable and worked as a condottiere for 3 popes, 2 Dukes
of Milan & 2 Kings of Naples
 He turned Urbino into one of the well-known centers of Renaissance
culture
 He married BATTISTA SFORZA, the niece of the Duke of Milan, while he was
away she ran the gov’t. she was “respected for governing with firmness &
good sense”.
 See photo on page 336 of 4th edition
 MANTUA
 Under the rule of FRANCESCO GONZAGA, Marquis of Manuta & his
wife ISABELLA d’ ESTE (1474-1539), daughter of the Duke of Ferrara.
 Isabella was responsible for amassing one of the finest libraries in all
of Italy. She was called “the first lady of the world.”
 Isabella effectively ruled Mantua & won a reputation as a clever
negotiator.
 READ PRIM.DOC ON PAGE 337 of the 4th edition
 PEACE OF LODI, 1454
 Ended petty wars bet. The city-states until 1494. It was this treaty
that established a “BALANCE OF POWER” system in Italy
 Milan, Florence & Naples VS Venice & the Papal States
France & Spain fight over Italy
 1494 – King Charles VIII of France (R. 1483-1498) invaded Italy &
occupied the Kingdom of Naples.
 Charles came in at the invitation of LUDOVICO SFORZA, Duke of
Milan
 Other Italians wanted the French OUT & invited the Spanish to
help.
 Ferdinand of Aragon was happy to get involved
 Spain & France duked it out over Italy for the next 15 years.
(1509) Called the Valois- Hapsburg War
 1510 – the war picked up again under the leadership of Francis I
of France & Charles I of Spain
 1527 – Spain's’ Army sacked Rome & brought about Spanish
domination
MODERN DIPLOMANCY
 B/C of wars in & among the Italian states. Ambassadors were sent out
for negotiations.
 Instead of keeping peace they were now required to help the political
interests of their own state.
 MACHIAVELLI & THE NEW STATECRAFT
 Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an ambassador for the Republic of
Florence.
 When the republic was re-conquered by the Medici, Machiavelli & other
republicans were sent into exile.
 The Prince (1513) – Machiavelli set out to write a book about how political
power Really is, and not how it should be. Some of his observations
included the following:
1.
2.
3.

The Prince is basically self-centered
Political activity can not be restricted by Morals
The Prince MUST act on behalf of the state & what is best for the state.
Machiavelli is considered the founder of modern, secular power politics.
Dante’s Death Mask---I couldn’t find one for
Machiavelli
The Intellectual Renaissance in Italy
HUMANISM
 Renaissance humanism was a form of education & culture based
on the study of the classics.
 Most humanists were teachers & professors of rhetoric
 Many others served as secretaries to princes, kings, & Popes.
 Most Humanists were laymen rather than clergy
 PETRACH (1304-1374) “Father of Humanism” (see page 339 in 4th edition)





He was the FIRST to say the middle ages were a period of Darkness
Pushed the studies of the classics (secular content)
Use of pure classical Latin (Cicero for prose & Virgil for poetry)
Philosophy = to harmonize faith and reason
Cicero was the model for the Humanists
 Roman Statesman, philosopher & orator.
 New Cicero – a biography of Cicero by LEONARDO BRUNI.(1370-1444)
 This book made Cicero the Renaissance ideal of the duty of an
intellectual to live an active life for one’s own state. (country)
 Humanists believed that the study of the Humanities should be put to the
service of the state.
 LORENZO VALLA (1407-1457)
 1st Humanist to write literary criticism of ancient texts. He was the
secretary to Pope Nicholas V & had permission to read through the
Vatican Library.
 Donation of Constantine he found to be a forgery. (this is important b/c
the Church based much of their temporal power on the Donation of
Constantine)
 The Elegances of the Latin Language = in this book Valla tried to purify
Latin telling the intellectuals that only Latin from the Last Century of the
Roman Republic and from the 1st Century of the Roman Empire should
be used for pure translations of ancient works.
 (There are primary documents on pages 340,&341 in the 4th Ed text & on pages
190 to 192 in Vol. 1 of the document book you should read)
 POGGIO BRACCIOLINI (1380-1459) – was a papal secretary for 50
years where he collected classical manuscripts.
 He was responsible for finding many lost documents
 He was BEST known for his collection of witty stories titled FACETIAE
 HUMANISM & PHILOSOPHY
 FLORENTINE PLATONIC ACADEMY - patron by Cosimo d’ Medici
 MARSILIO FICINO (1433-1499) – was commissioned by Medici to
translate Plato’s Work.
 Ficino pushed Plato’s philosophy known as “Neo Platonism” in Renaissance
Italy.
 Neo-Platonism is based on:
 Hierarchy of substances
 Humans are the link between the material world & the spiritual world
 Theory of spiritual love
 All parts of the universe are held together by bonds of Sympathetic Love
 Ficino also translated a Greek work titled Corpus Hermeticum (loosely
translated = body of mysticism) into Latin.
 This manuscript stressed 2 types of writings:
1.
The Occult Sciences
Astrology, alchemy & magic
2.
Theological & philosophical beliefs & speculations
 Divinity was embodied in All aspects of nature, heavenly bodies & earthly objects.
 The Hermetic revival offered a new view of human kind
 Humans were created by divine power & chose to become human
 Through a regenerative experiences (purification) humans could regain
their knowledge of God and Truth
 Sages & Magi
 Ficino was a magi (so he said) so was his friend and student – Mirandola
 GIOVANNI PICO della MIRANDOLA – wrote the 900 Conclusions.
 The 900 was meant to be a summation of all learning.
 In the preface to the 900 C… was the ORATION ON THE DIGNIGTY OF
MAN (see doc. On pg. 343 4th ed)
 Mirandola believed in unlimited human potential
EDUCATION
 Vittorino de Feltre (1378-1440) founded one of the most famous
schools in MANTUA.
 Gian Francesco I Gonzaga wanted a school for his children
 The school was based on Humanist beliefs.
 Studies were the Humanities
 A typical day included studies in:
 History, Moral Philosophy, grammar, Logic (Letters), poetry, math, astronomy, music,
Latin, Greek, Physical education. Plus the students had to attend Mass every day & be
reverent in word and deed.
 Few girls attended schools for those that did they were discouraged from
learning mathematics & rhetoric but they took the following classes:
 History, how to ride a horse, dancing, singing, playing the lute & how to appreciate
poetry.
 2 famous humanist women were:
 Isotta Nogarola who won praise for her letters & treatises on Latin
 Cassandra Fedele of Venice who became famous for her public recitations in Latin
& Greek.
 Humanist schools provided the model for the basic education of the European
Ruling Class until the 21st Century.
HUMANISM & HISTORY
 Humanists were responsible for secularizing history.
 Leonardo Bruni wrote : History of the Florentine People
 Jacob Wimpheling wrote: On the Excellence & Magnificence of the
Germans
 Both men deemphasized the role of God in historical texts. They stressed
political forces &/or the role of the individual in history.
 Francesco Guicciardini (1483-1540)- analyzed political situations & his
works relied heavily on examples & documentary sources. His books
include:
 HISTORY OF ITALY
 HISTORY OF FLORENCE
The Impact of Printing
 The development of the printing press w/ movable type was a
gradual process that culminated between 1445 & 1450
 JOHANNES GUTENBERG of Mainz completed his Bible in 1455-56
– this was the FIRST real book to be produced from movable
type.
 By 1500 there were more than 1,000 printers & 40,000 published
titles.
 50% were religious books (Bibles)
 The other 50% were made up of books in Latin & Greek, grammars, legal
hand books, philosophy & ………
ROMANCES
 The printing of books encouraged the development of scholarly
research
THE ARTISTIC RENAISSANCE
 Sister Wendy’s episode of Renaissance Art will
describe in detail some of the art from the period.
 The following slides are for you to see some of the
most famous Renaissance art work.
This is an example of Northern
Renaissance work.
Janeyck and Wife
Looking at the pic you wouldn’t
know it’s their engagement picture
since she looks pregnant to me.
What about to You?
Look in the Mirror in the
background. You can see the artist
painting them from there.
LEONARDO da VINCI
Painted the “Last Supper” on the
dining room wall of a monastery using
a new technique. The painting has
been falling apart ever since & is in
constant repair.
Painted the “Mona Lisa” we are still
discovering things about the
mysterious Mona Lisa ---- the veil on
her head represents that she just gave
birth.
The smile & the eyes are world
famous since they follow you around
the room where she hangs.
Botticelli’s
Birth of Venus
David
By
Donatello
Compare to
Michelangelo's
David
Medium?
Size?
Before/after
battle?
From a bad piece of Marble
that no one wanted to
work with
Michelangelo created this
David
Sistine Chapel
Ceiling & Walls
by
Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam
Center of ceiling in the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo
The PIETA
Sits in St. Peter’s
Cathedral in Rome
Michelangelo
The Last Judgment
By Michelangelo
In the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo
finished this when
he was an old man
at the end of the
Renaissance. The
type of work seen
here was the basis
for the next art
movement –
Mannerism.
Raphael’s
Sistine Chapel Madonna
Notice at the bottom of the
painting – his cherubs
Music in the Renaissance
 GUILLAUME DUFAY (1400-1474) was the 1st to use
secular tunes in the Mass. These tunes replaced
Gregorian Chants
 I’ll have both for you to listen to in class.
 DuFay worked for the Dukes of Burgundy in France
 MADRIGAL – a poem set to music & its origins were in
the 14th Cent. Italian courts
 12 line poems – emotional or erotic love w/ 5 or 6 voices
combined.
The European State in the
Renaissance
8th Ed. Maps on pages 367, 368, & 371
 The New Monarchies
 In the 2nd ½ of the 15th Century rulers attempted to re establish
centralized power.
 The Renaissance marks a period of further extension of
centralized royal authority
 In Central & Eastern Europe decentralization remained a fact of life
The French Monarchy
 Charles VII (1422-1461)
 Est. royal army (cavalry & archers
 Levy the Taille ( direct tax on land w/o approval of the Estates
General
 Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges (1438) – enabled the King to assume
control over the Church in France
Louis XI (R. 1461-1483)
Called the “Spider”
Louis XI
Retained the Taille
Secured a regular source of income
Added Charles the Bold’s (Duke of Burgundy) land after his death in battle
Also added ANJOU, MAINE, BER, & PROVENCE
Encouraged growth in industry & commerce.
Charles VIII (R. 1483-1498)
Louis XII (R. 1498- 1515)
Charles VIII
These two kings
continued to follow
Louis XI policies of
expansion in both
land & the
economy.
Even the war w/
Spain over Italy did
not affect France at
home.
Louis XII
ENGLISH MONARCHY
 WAR OF THE ROSES – a Civil War in which the House of
Lancaster (Red Rose) fought for control of the crown against the
House of York (White Rose)
 Henry Tudor, Duke of Richmond, House of Lancaster defeated
King Richard III, House of York at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Lancashire Rose
York Rose
Tudor Rose
 HENRY VII (R. 1485-1509)
 Eliminated nobility fro keeping their private armies (Livery
& Maintenance)
 Created “Court of Star Chamber” – did not use juries but
could use Torture to get confessions
 Henry did not overburden the people w/ taxes.
 He was “thrifty” & left England stable
 Upon his death his youngest son became King Henry VIII &
we’ll talk about him later.
Unification of Spain
 1469 – Isabella of Castile (R. 1474-1504) & Ferdinand of Aragon (R. 1479-1516)
married
 Both kingdoms (Castile & Aragon) had their own Parliaments (Cortes)
 Royal council in Castile had nobles replaced w/ middle- class lawyers
 Hermandades (brotherhoods) were transformed into a national militia.
 1498 they were disbanded when F & I were strong enough to deal w/
lawlessness using their new army.
 Reorganized their army
 Received permission from the pope to select important Spanish Church
officials & had the pope introduce the INQUISITION into Spain (1478)
 The Purpose of the Inquisition was to make Spain a totally Catholic
Country.
 Jews were expelled (150,000 to 200,000)
 Muslims were expelled (1502)
 Conversos – Jews who converted to Catholicism; were tortured to
make sure that there were Catholic.
Ferdinand & Isabella
Holy Roman Empire
 House of Habsburg – by mid 15th century one of the wealthiest
landholders & followed a policy of “dynastic marriages”
 Emperor Maximillian I (R. 1493-1519) tried to unify the German
people by creating new institutions but he was opposed by the
German princes who didn’t want to lose their own authority.
 The Dynastic marriages produced an heir who became heir to the
 Habsburg
(Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor)
 Burgundian
(Charles, Duke of Burgundy)
 & Spanish lines (Charles I of Spain)
Struggle for Strong Monarchy in
Eastern Europe




Hungary
Poland
Russia (Ivan III)
Ottoman Turks