Why did the Renaissance start in Italy? Geographic Reasons
Italy is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, making trade
between the Middle East and Africa easy. Italy is located in the
middle of Europe, making it easy for ideas to spread from the rest
of Europe to Italy. Rome served as a reminder of the classics of
ancient Rome, inspiring Renaissance thought. Resources were
available in Italy.
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Why Italy? Social Reasons Humanism placed an emphasis on the
achievements of the individual. Secularism made people appreciate
the things in the world more. Philosophy and education became
widely appreciated.
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Why Italy Economic Reasons The merchant class brought great
wealth to Italy through trade. The House of Medici helped restore
Florence and, eventually, start the Renaissance. A decline in
manorialism allowed the average person more opportunity for
advancements in salary. The wealthy became patrons of the arts.
Other reasons: The Hundred Years War left France and England
preoccupied, explaining northern Europes failure to start the
Renaissance
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. What events affected the Renaissance? The Crusades
(c.1045-1200)> opened trade routes to the East; increased
demands for luxury items; cities and towns grew from trade Rise of
Italian Merchants (c.1200-1400)> trade in Mediterranean
increased; merchants became wealthy and patronized the arts; cities
and towns grew and thrived Rise of Secularism> increased demand
for foreign products (ex. silk and spices) Commercial Revolution
(c.1400-1500)> development of different trade practices like
mercantilism; increased desire for global trade; banking and
coinage used Technological Advancements and Expansion> increased
desire for new trade routes; better ships and navigational devices
developed Age of Discovery (c.1400-1600)> New World discovered;
decline of Italian trade in the Mediterranean; end of the
Renaissance
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Italian City States 5 Major States Dutchy of Milan Republic of
Venice Republic of Florence Papal States Kingdom of Naples
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The Renaissance in Italy 1375-1527 Treaty of Lodi (1454-1455)
was a fragile alliance between city-state of Naples, Milan, and
Florence and their rivals, Venice and the Papal States Cosimo de
Medici (1389-1464) was a wealthy Florentine who manipulated
elections and influenced the local council, Signoria, Lorenzo the
Magnificent ruled Florence with a totalitarian regime from
1478-1492 Later Florentine leader Piero de Medici allied with
Naples against Milan in 1494 He was exiled after handing Pisa and
other Florentine possessions over to Charles VIII of France
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The Renaissance in Italy 1375-1527 The Visconti Family Rule in
Milan 1278 and Sforza family took over in 1450 Both ruled without
constitutional restraint or political competition A Sforza,
Ludovico il More appealed to French in 1494 for aid against the
Naples and its allies, An appeal that resulted in Frances
acquisition of Florence, Charles VIII League of Venice- Ferdinand
of Aragon created a counter alliance to protect Venice, Milan, and
Papal states, and Emperor Maximilian I from France
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The Renaissance in Italy 1375-1527 Girolanmo Savonarola
(1452-1498) a radical Dominican monk, convinced a mob of
Florentines to exile Piero de Medici claimed that Frances victory
was divine justice Savonarola ruled Florence until his imprisonment
and execution in 1498 Venice- was an exception to the trend of
despotic rule. It was ruled by a merchant oligarchy, a 300 member
senate, and Judicial council
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Humanism Believed in well rounded education expressed in
Baldassare Castiglione Book of the Courtier Humanists espouse a
program of study that included rhetoric, politics and moral
philosophy, poetry, history, and that embraced classical and
biblical sources Florentine Platonic Academy arose under the
patronage of Cosimo de Medici to enable humanists to devote their
attention to Plato and Neoplatonist
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Humanism Scholars consider Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) the
father of humanism Other important works: Divine Comedy: Dante
Alighieri The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) The
Prince : Machaivelli New techniques like chiaroscuro and linear
prospective were implemented by Michelangelo Buonarroti
(1475-1564), Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Raphael
(1483-1520)
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The Northern Renaissance Supported by Brother of Common Life, a
lay religion movement based in the Netherlands Mostly interested in
Religious reform Convey their ideas as a result of Johann Gutenberg
invention of moveable type in 1450 Desiderius Erasmus (1466?-1536)
most famous northern humanist tried in his writings to unite the
classical ideal of civic virtue with Christian ideals His works
embraced anticlerical views and satirized religious superstition He
translated new testament in to Greek, then into Latin
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Northern Renaissance The English Humanist Thomas More is best
known for Utopia A critique of society that envisioned an imaginary
society based on tolerance and communal property Miguel de
Cervantes, a Spaniard, wrote Don Quixote de la Mancha in 1605. In
it, Cervantes criticizes the outdated practice of chivalry. This
novel is considered the first great European novel. William
Shakespeare (1564-1616) was one of the greatest playwrights of all
time Some of his most famous plays include Macbeth, King Lear,
Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Nights Dream.
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Trade Routes Continued Hanseatic League (a.k.a. the Hansa)
formed by Northern European cities as a way to compete with Italian
trade incorporated most of the Baltic and North Sea ports, along
with cities in Scandinavia, Russia, Germany, and other European
countries land transport increased and ship traffic rivalled that
of Italy Baltic Sea considered Scandinavian Mediterranean because
of the large amount of trade that took place there traded cloth,
metal, fish, animal skins, furs, tar, timber, and turpentine
created a monopoly of Northern European trade fell apart in the
early 1600s Some cities where Venetian and Hanseatic trade routes
met were Bruges (Belgium), Marseilles (France), Venice (Italy), and
London (England).
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Voyages of Discovery and the New Empire in the West Explorers
such as Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Ferdinand Magellan,
and Henry the Navigator sought to conquer unknown worlds and bring
riches and supplies back to Europe The effects of discoveries on
the culture and history of conquered peoples frequently involved
exploitation and in some cases complete destruction