Transcript The Renaissance

The Renaissance
• The Crusades greatly affected Europe. They
resulted in an increased demand for Middle
Eastern products and encouraged credit and
banking.
• Italian cities began to flourish because of
trade with the Middle East. As trade grew,
money became more important (money or
bartering was used to trade).
• Along with trade, banking became an
important business.
• Moneylenders loaned out money, but were
not allowed to charge interest because
churches were against usury.
• Church rule against usury and the banks’
practice of charging interest helped to
secularize northern Italy.
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Letters of credit expanded the money supply and
expedited trade.
New accounting and bookkeeping practices (using
Arabic numerals) also began to be used.
Italian City-States
• Northern Italian cities like Florence, Venice
and Genoa benefited from their geographic
location.
• All three cities:
a. had access to trade routes connecting Europe
and Middle Eastern markets
b. Served as trading centers for the distribution of
goods to northern Europe
c. Were initially independent city-states governed
as republics
Italian Renaissance
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As cities grew, other changes also occurred. During
this time, there was a revival of interest in Greece and
Rome; new ideas, art and literature emerged. This is
called the Renaissance.
People who studied Greek and Roman grammar,
history, poetry and rhetoric were known as
humanists. Humanist believed in celebrating the
individual.
• Art and literature differed greatly from that of
the Middle Ages. Medieval art and literature
focused on the Church and salvation;
Renaissance art and literature focused on
individuals and worldly matters, along with
Christianity.
Renaissance Writers
• There were many Renaissance writers. Two
who are still remembered today are
Francesco Petrarch and Niccolo Machiavelli.
• Francesco Petrarch, a humanist, believed that
Greek and Roman literature were important
to a “classical education.” He wrote sonnets
and created his own poetic style.
• Niccolo Machiavelli wrote an essay called The
Prince. It is important for several reasons:
a.
b.
c.
d.
It was an early modern treatise on government
It supported absolute power of the ruler
It maintains that the ends justify the means
It advises that one should do good if possible,
but evil when necessary
Main ideas of Machiavelli’s The Prince:
- Ruler should have absolute power
- The ends justify the means
- Sometimes evil actions are necessary to run
the government
Renaissance Art
• Several artists from the Renaissance era are
remembered for their great skill.
• Leonardo da Vinci is
remembered for his
paintings Mona Lisa and
The Last Supper.
• Michelangelo is known for painting the ceiling
of the Sistine Chapel and David.
Northern Renaissance
• The Renaissance spread from Italy to
Northern Europe as growing wealth helped
to support Renaissance ideas. The movable
type printing press (which led to the
production and sale of books – ex. Gutenberg
Bible) also helped to disseminate ideas.
• Northern Renaissance thinkers started to
merge humanist ideas with Christianity.
Northern Renaissance Writers
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Erasmus wrote The Praise of Folly (1511) which
made fun of ignorance and superstition in the
Christian faith. He criticized fasting, pilgrimages
and the church’s interpretation of the Bible.
Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia (1516). In the
book, governments were corrupt and private
ownership of property caused problems. His
message was that everyone should be equal and
work to support society.
• Shakespeare wrote plays including Hamlet,
Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
Northern Renaissance Artists
• Artists portrayed both religious and secular
objects in their art. This reflected Christian
humanism.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, the Renaissance reflected a great
time of change. Feudalism was fading and
cities were becoming more popular. Trade
connected Europe to the Middle East and
ideas travelled back and forth. Christianity
decreased in importance. There was a return
of importance of classical Greek and Roman
knowledge. There was a revival of ideas,
literature and art in Europe.