Transcript The Renaissance- Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics

The Renaissance- Intellectual
Themes and Italian Politics
When, Where, and Why?
 15th and 16th centuries
 Why Italy?
– Economic boom
 Decent position to serve as
Asia/European trading
‘middle man’
– Relatively high # of cities
– Legacy of classical
civilization
– Influx of classical texts
from the Arab/Muslim
world (crusades)
The Renaissance
 French,
‘naissance’.
 Spanish
‘nacimiento’
 Renaissance???
The ‘rebirth’ of what???
I think I will
name my
baby Greece
Roman!
Intellectual Themes
 Reason- Rational thought plus a willingness to
challenge first principles (“Perhaps we are as smart as
the Greco-Romans!”)

Humanism- the elevation of the human mind as a
source for knowledge and critical thought (at least
equal to the bible)
– Aka secularism or individualism

Humanities- those things that you need to study to
become a cultured individual
– Medieval fields of study  law, medicine and theology
– Renaissance adds  history, art, philosophy, rhetoric, etc.)
– Education is necessary for good citizenship… so increasingly
non-clergy receive educations in the Renaissance…
Renaissance Themes Didn’t Sit Well
With the Great Chain of Being

Divine right/the Great Chain were not
based on reason

Thus, reason threatened those in power
Key City States
Florence- started off the Renaissance and
most of the time its brightest star
 Rome- High Renaissance

Internal Politics in the Italian City States

They Started out with an advantage  free of Feudalism/the
Chain
– At this point they were Communes – run by guilds (collections of
workers organized by trade)

Then  Urban nobility v popolo
– Nobility in the surrounding countryside moved into the city-states to
intermarry with newly rich merchants
– These ‘Urban nobles’ clashed with workers (who were referred to as
‘the popolo’ (the people)
– Popolo often won at first and set up short-lived Republics
– These were unstable, largely because the leaders of the Republics
quickly started to abuse their own power and couldn’t maintain order
– Wealthy elites used anger at the Republican governments to return to
power- these elites were known as ‘Signori’. They were ‘oligarchs’. (An
oligarchy is a rule by a small elite).
(cont.)

Signori/Oligarchs used façades of classical
government
– Why?

Wealth of oligarchs, via patronage, which
refers to financial encouragement and support,
spurred cultural growth
– De Medici’s in Florence
– Sforza’s in Milan

Balance of power/Ambassadors
External Italian Politics are
Important, too…
Balance of power pro- stability and cultural
vibrancy in city-states
 Balance of power con- not strong enough to
stand up to foreign invasion
 Habsburg- Valois Wars

– Fight between the Holy Roman Emperor (a Habsburg)
and the French (a Valois) for the spoils of the Italian
city states
– Rome was even sacked by a Habsburg leader
– (Habsburgs) eventually ended up with most of the
Italian city states (Italy won’t exist as a country until
the mid to late 19th century)
The Northern Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance was extinguished by the
Habsburg-Valois Wars, but the invaders were
‘conquered’ by Renaissance ideas
 Or, “the Renaissance crossed the Alps”
 Northern Renaissance

– Mainly in the HRE, the Netherlands, England, and
France
– More religious - Christian Humanists
– Hoped to reform society (government, education, etc.)
to more accurately reflect ethics as taught by Jesus
 Example- Erasmus’ more accurate translation of the New
Testament from Greek
 Erasmus believed that the bible should be accessible to
everyone – thus education was important

The End
Hansen
AP Euro
Name _____________________
Period _________
The Renaissance- Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics (Lecture #1)
Note-Taking Guide
►When, Where, and Why?
•
_____th and _____th centuries
•
Why Italy?
– Economic boom
• _____________________________________
_____________________________________
– Relatively high # of ___________________________
– Legacy of __________________________________
– Influx of classical texts from ____________________
_________________________________________
– The name – ‘Renaissance’? ___________________
__________________________________________
►When, Where, and Why?
•
Reason- _______________________________________
____________________________________________
(“Perhaps we are as smart as the Greco-Romans!”)
•
Humanism- ____________________________________
______________________________________________
(at least equal to the bible)
– Aka ________________or __________________
•
Humanities- those things that you need to study to become
_________________________
– Medieval fields of study  law, medicine, theology
– Renaissance adds  ________________________
_____________________________________, etc.)
– Education is necessary for good citizenship… so
increasingly ______________ receive educations
► Renaissance Themes Didn’t Sit Well With _________________
•
Divine right/the Great Chain were not _________________
•
Thus, reason threatened those in power
► Key City States
•
_________- started off the Renaissance and most of the time
its brightest star
•
_________- High Renaissance
► Internal Politics in the Italian City States
•
They Started out with an advantage  ________________
_______________________________________________
– At this point they were _____________ – run by guilds
(_________________________________________
__________________________________________)
•
Then  Urban nobility v popolo
– Nobility in the surrounding countryside moved into the
city-states to _________________________________
___________________________________________
– These ‘Urban nobles’ clashed with ________ (who
were referred to as ‘the popolo’ (________________)
– Popolo often won at first and set up ______________
___________________________________________
– These were unstable, largely because the leaders of
the Republics quickly started to __________________
___________________ and couldn’t ______________
___________________________________________
– Wealthy elites used anger at the Republican
governments ______________________ - these elites
were known as ‘Signori’. They were ‘oligarchs’. (An
oligarchy is _______________________________).
Hansen
AP Euro
Name _____________________
Period _________
The Renaissance- Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics (Lecture #1)
Note-Taking Guide
•
•
•
Signori/Oligarchs used façades of classical government
– Why? _____________________________________
__________________________________________
Wealth of oligarchs, via ________________________,
which refers to _________________________________
_____________________________ spurred cultural growth
– De Medici’s in ______________
– Sforza’s in _________________
Balance of power/Ambassadors
– __________________________________________
__________________________________________
► ____________________Italian Politics are Important, too…
•
Balance of power pro- ___________________________
______________________________________________
•
Balance of power con- ___________________________
______________________________________________
•
Habsburg- Valois Wars
– Fight between the __________________________ (a
Habsburg) and ___________________________ (a
Valois) for the spoils of the Italian city states
– _________________________by a Habsburg leader
– Habsburgs eventually ended up with most of the
Italian city states (__________________________
__________________________________________)
► The Northern Renaissance
•
The Italian Renaissance was __________________ by the
Habsburg-Valois Wars, but the invaders were ____________
________________________________________________
•
Or, “the Renaissance crossed __________________”
•
Northern Renaissance
– Mainly in the __________ , the Netherlands, England,
and France
– ________________- Christian Humanists
– Hoped to reform society (government, education, etc.)
to more accurately reflect ethics as taught by Jesus
• Example- ______________________________
______________________________________
• Erasmus believed that the bible should be
_______________________________ – thus
_________________ was important