Transcript Introduction to the Renaissance

Introduction to
the Renaissance
The Renaissance
• Renaissance means
“rebirth”
• Lasted from around
1350-1600 CE
The Renaissance
• During the Renaissance, people in Europe
started living less by religion and began to
embrace new ideas and technology
• Started in Italy and then spread across Europe
Government
• Instead of fiefs, Italy formed city-states
– Many city-states became wealthy because of trade
Government
Two main types of government emerged in Italy:
• Signoria- Controlled by a ruling family
– These developed in smaller cities with only one powerful family
• Republicanism- Groups of wealthy families ruled together
– In large cities, there were many wealthy families and they had to
share power
– Examples: Florence and Venice
Venice was one of the major cities where the Renaissance movement
began. It became wealthy because of trading along the Adriatic Sea.
Venice, Italy
from above
There are no paved streets in Venice. Only canals and rivers.
You must travel from place to place in a boat
Humanism
• Humanism- A shift in thought away from religion or
god being the cause for all events; instead focus was
now on science and critical-thinking to solve human’s
problems
– The belief that humans could control their destiny
– Used teachings from philosophers from Ancient Greece and
Rome
– Led to advances in science, literature, architecture, and art
Humanism
• Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio
are considered to be the first
Renaissance humanists
– They were both poets and writers
Petrarch
• They came up with the concept
of less focus on religion and more
focus on technology and the
spread of new ideas
Boccaccio
Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Completed in 1372
• 183 feet tall
• The foundation of the
tower started to sink
making it lean
• In recent years, weights
have been put on the
opposite side to stop the
leaning
Sistine Chapel
• Completed in 1481
• Most famous for its
ceiling, painted by
Michelangelo that tells
the story of the Old
Testament
• Located in Vatican City,
this is where the Pope
lives
Mona Lisa
• Created in 1503 by
Leonardo Da Vinci
• The most famous painting
in the world
• Currently, at the Louvre
Museum in Paris
Technology from Middle East
• During the Middle Ages, Muslims in the
Middle East and Northern Africa made many
scientific advances (math and astronomy)
– Brought to Italy across the Mediterranean Sea
through trade
Technology from China
• Venetian trade routes connected through the
Silk Road reached as far as China
– This brought the idea of block printing and papermaking to Italy
Printing Press
• In the 1440s, Johannes Gutenberg invented
the printing press
• This greatly increased the number of books,
which further led to the spread of ideas and
the Humanist movement
Videos
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Venice- The City of Canals (2:27)
Leaning Tower of Piza (2:09)
Sistine Chapel- 500th Anniversary (3:08)
Mona Lisa- Why So Famous? (4:39)- Stop @
4:10
• Gutenberg Printing Press by Storybots (1:34)