Chapter 11: The Italian Renaissance

The Renaissance was the rebirth of classical culture

Birthed a new spirit of being self aware

Provided a sense of relief after all the chaos of the 14th century

Allowed for a sense of self assertion

• Celebration of the human spirit and celebration of potential was also allowed

Lasted from around 1330-1550

Had 3 distinct phases

• Phase 1: (1350-1400) declining population & rediscovery of classical knowledge

• Phase 2: (1400-1500) artistic/literary achievements, the population recovered, & the government stabilized

• Phase 3: (1500-1550) Italian political life was transformed due to invasions from France and Spain with said invasions spreading the Renaissance all across Europe

By the late middle ages, nearly one in four Italians lived in a town

• There were more Italian cities and people who lived in them

By 1500 around 7/10 of the largest cities were Italian

Urban areas provided markets for agricultural produce and manufactured goods

Cities developed into city-states

• Cities were the centers of political and ecclesiastical power

Rural societies

• Land-ownership/sharecropping were key features of the social structure

  • 80% were sustenance farmers

Urban societies

• Divided based on occupation

The Black Death caused there to be high death rates

Aggregate demand diminished, labor supply diminished, overproduction, prices declined, and wages increased

The standard of living increased for the lower class (poor people)

The pattern of consumption in general became conspicuous for the wealthy

• Sense of mortality

• Lack of motivation for investing

The consumption of luxuries allowed for skilled craftsmen to be seen as more valuable

Grouping of relatives

primary economic units

Marriage was seen as either a political or an economic arrangement

• Dowry, status, and patronage were in high consideration

Men married in their 30s

Women married in their late teenage years

• Married women were pressured with family interests

The state had superiority over the church

The wealthy, upper class were able to hire help

The poor, lower class had to face high mortality rates

• Life for the lower classes was terrible but had still improved from what it had been before

Health improved (population grew)

• New foods

• Increased supply of grain

Starvation wasn’t a big issue

• It was more common for individuals to die due to deadly diseases than to die due to starvation

Renaissance art commonly portrayed social ideals and the talent of the artist

• Was the leading “edge” of society

• There were several technical advancements in the field of art

  • Three-dimensions

  • Perspective

Portraits reflected the significance of people

• Allowed for prestige

The elite (wealthy) commissioned the art and patronized the artists who produced the art

Renaissance art had 3 mediums with most artists being active in all 3 mediums

• Architecture

• Painting

• Sculptures

The architecture commissioned during this time period increased an individual’s fame and prestige

• Commonly commissioned

Architecture in the Middle Ages

• Gothic Architecture

  • Vaulted Ceilings

  • Pointed Arches

  • Large Windows

  • Slender Spires

  • Flying Buttresses

• The goal of the impressive and grand architecture was to impact viewers with the might of God

Renaissance architecture consisted of a reincorporation of classical features

A famous artist of the time was Brunelleschi who mixed gothic and classic architecture

• Florence Cathedral

Donatello was a famous sculptor

• Created a sense of reality in his sculptures

• Demonstrated perspective

In paintings, light and shading was used to create perspective with them also increasing the display of human emotion

• The Expulsion of Adam and Eve (1425)

Boticelli, a prominent painter was known for classical themes and bright colors

• The Birth of Venus (1478)

• Spring (1478)

Humanism was an important Renaissance ideal

• Humanism: reaction to an intellectual world that was focused on the church doctrine

  • Secular outlook

There was an emphasis on human achievement

Ideas of Renaissance were applied to the secular and spiritual world

Scholars attempting to escape Muslim expansion were extremely influential

New education standards and standards for studying classical texts were developed

• Liberal Arts

  • Grammar

  • Rhetoric

  • Philology

  • History

  • Moral Philosophy

Civic humanism combined the Classical and Renaissance world and was a representation of the first secular understanding of the government

Powerful families and guilds took over the field of regional governments

The major industries were those of textiles and finance

• Textiles: Wool, Silk, & Cotton

Bank branches were established throughout Europe with external conflicts causing a financial crisis

Byzantine Empire was allowed exclusive trade rights

The government controlled trade

• Italy was responsible for exporting manufactured goods, capital resources, and cultural innovations

Wars of Italy (1494-1529)

• Renaissance in Italy is ended