Transcript Renaissance and Reformation

1350 - 1600
 Daily Objective: The student will be able to describe
the characteristics of the Renaissance, and the political
and social structure of Renaissance society.
 Renaissance means “rebirth”
 It began in Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe.
 The Italian Renaissance took place from about 1350 to
1550.
 The people who lived in Italy during this time believed
they had witnessed a “rebirth” of ancient Greek and
Roman worlds.
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URBAN SOCIETY. Based on a secular or worldly
viewpoint
Age of recovery due to plague and church
corruption
Human individuality - said a person was capable
of achievements in many different areas
1.
Leonardo de Vinci – was a great example of
Renaissance man because he was a painter,
sculptor, inventor, mathematician
Milan
Venice
Florence
 Located in northern Italy at the crossroads of the main
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trade routes from the Italian coast to the Alpine passes
One of the richest city-states in Italy
Visconti family ruled Milan until 1447
Sforza family took over after Visconti
Had a strong centralized state with an efficient tax
system
 Located in Northern Italy
 Had an elected leader known as a Doge – but in
reality a small group of wealthy merchant – aristocrats
ruled Venice
 Economy was based off of trade
 Located in the Tuscany region in the middle of France
 Wealthy merchants ruled Florence until 1434
 In 1434 – the Medici family took control of the city
 Savonarola- Dominican preacher who took over
briefly before the Medici family retook power
 Economy was based on the manufacturing of cloth
 Italy’s neighboring states were especially jealous of the
money and power and success of the Italian city states.
 French king, Charles VIII, invaded Italy in 1494
 The Italian turned to the Spanish for help – Spanish
king was Charles I
 Charles I defeated French king Charles VIII after
30 yrs of fighting and allowed the Spanish soldiers
to sack the city of Rome in 1527 – which finally
ended the war
 Wrote The Prince
 Most influential work on political power in the
Western World at the time
1.
How to acquire and keep political power
Obtaining power based on human nature
3. Political activity is not restricted by moral
principles
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Prince acts on behalf of the state
 Clergy
 Nobility
 Peasants and Townspeople
 Dominated society
 Made up only 2 to 3% of the population
 Held important political posts and served as advisors
to kings
 Were expected to meet certain ideals as outlined
in Castiglione’s work, The Book of the Courtier
 Born, not made – Has character, grace, and talent
 Military Skill Expert
 Gain a classical education and enrich his life with
the arts
 Follow a certain standard of conduct
 Made up 85 to 90% of the European population
 By 1500 most peasants were legally free in Western
Europe
 Townspeople were divided into 3 classes:
a. Patricians
b. Burghers
c. Workers
 Father-Husband was the center of the Italian family.
He gave his name, managed all finances, and made the
decisions that determined his children’s live.
 His authority over his children was absolute until he
died or formally freed his children.
 Mother’s role was to supervise the household.
Family Con’t
 Marriage were arranged to strengthen business
and family ties with details being worked out well
in advance.
 Dowry - a sum of money given by the wife’s family
to the husband upon marriage.
 Adulthood was not reached by obtaining a certain age.
Instead, it came when fathers went before a judge and
had their children declared freed.
On an index card or half sheet
of paper --- Summarize the
characteristics of the perfect
Renaissance Noble.