The Italian Renaissance

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The Italian Renaissance
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Petrarch and History

• Medieval concept of antiquity
• Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)
• Realization that the classical world was gone
• Posited a Dark Age
• Jacob Burckhardt et al

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Italian Society/Economy

• Urban character of Italy
• Modified forms of feudalism and manorialism
• Commercial economy in Middle Ages
• Position along trade routes
• Merchant fleets
• Domestic industry (Florence wool Venice
  glass)

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Revival of Antiquity

• Discovery of manuscripts (14th c.)
• Interest in Greek
• New way of viewing classics
• Textual criticism
• Valla and the Donation of Constantine
• Erasmus and the N.T.

Lorenzo Vallas translation of Thucydides
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The Studia Humanitatis

• Reaction to the Scholastics curriculum
• Trivium
• Quadrivium
• Emphasis on theology, metaphysics
• Idea of the liberal arts
• Focus on citizenship, public service
• Intended for elites
• Considered more practical

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The Studia Humanitatis

• Subjects
• Grammar
• Rhetoric
• Poetry
• Moral philosophy
• History
• Intense rivalry between scholastics and humanists

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Revival of Plato

• Medieval philosophers generally relied on
  Aristotle
• Many humanists championed Plato
• Marsilio Ficino
• Pico della Mirandola
• The Dignity of Man
• Attempted synthesis

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Varieties of Humanism

• Civic humanism
• Literary talents serve the State
• Tried to revive greatness of republican Rome
• Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406)
• Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

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Varieties of Humanism

• Court humanism
• Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529)
• The Courtier (1528)
• Notion of sprezzatura
• Christian humanism (northern Europe)

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City-State Politics

• Formation of communes in the Middle Ages
• Trend in 14th-15th c. republic ? despotism
• Innovations in diplomacy
• Jockeying for position
• Advent of permanent ambassadors
• New model for the state illegitimate authority
• Machiavelli and The Prince

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The Five Major States

• Naples traditional feudal monarchy
• Papal States ruled directly by the pope
• Florence
• Banking and wool
• Republic (Medici)
• Lorenzo the Magnificent

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The Five Major States

• Milan
• Early despotism
• Strongest land power
• Wars with HRE
• Venice
• Maritime empire
• Extensive trade networks with the East
• Remained a republic until 1806

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End of the Renaissance

• Regular small-scale warfare in 15th c.
• Peace of Lodi (1454) ushered in forty years of
  relative peace
• 1494 Milan brings in the French
• 1527 Sack of Rome by Charles V