Italy: The Birthplace of the Renaissance

1300-1600

The people that survived the wars and the plague in the Middle Ages wanted to celebrate life. They began to question institutions, such as the church, that they believe led them to those years of struggle.

The Renaissance was a time of creative thinking, expressing through art and writing.

Why do you think the Renaissance means rebirth? What is being reborn?

Art and learning are being reborn from the times of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome (a time where philosophy and thinking were important)

Why was Italy the birthplace of the Renaissance?Large city states (because of trade), while the rest of

Europe was mostly ruralA wealthy merchant class

A high percentage of citizens could be involved in politicsIndividual achievement became important, which was the

cause of the high social rankDuring the Renaissance, Florence moved from a republican

form of government to a government that was ruled by the wealthiest banking family in Europe (The Medici family)

Scholars wanted to return to learn about the Greeks and the Romans for information and inspirationStudied manuscripts that had been preserved in the

monasteries and also studied the ruins in Rome.

HumanismAn intellectual movement that focused on human

potential and achievements.Humanist studied classical texts to understand

Ancient Greek valuesHumanists said that instead of wearing rough

clothing and eating plain foods in order to not offend God, people should just enjoy life. So the wealthy in Renaissance Italy enjoyed luxuries, music, and fine foods.

Renaissance society was secular (worldly and concerned with the present) even though most people remained Catholic

Churches, merchants, and wealthy families spent huge amounts of money on art, which made them patrons of the arts by supporting the artists financially

The ideal individual’s goal would be to master almost every area of study. This was the responsibility of the men.

The women were expected to inspire art, but rarely ever create it

Renaissance ArtUsed perspective- 3D on a flat surfaceMostly religious, but a different style than

medieval artThey also painted and sculpted citizens

(Michelangelo)Donatello made sculptures more realistic by

carving natural postures and expressions.

Leonardo da VinciPainter, sculptor, inventor, and scientistHe was interested in how things workedPainted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

RaphaelFamous for his use of perspectiveKnown for his painting School of Athens

Anguissola and GentileschiSofonisba Anguissola was the first woman

artist to gain an international reputationArtemisia Gentileschi was another

accomplished artist. She painted pictures of strong heroic women

There were only a few well known women painters in Italy

Francesco PetrarchOne of the earliest and most influential

humanistsHe was a great poetHe wrote in both Italian and Latin

Other known writersGiovanni Boccaccio-Best known for the

Decameron, a series of realistic stories, both tragic and comic

Machiavelli-The Prince, a political guidebookVittoria Colonna- published The Courtier,

which were a series of personal poems