The Renaissance- Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics

1
The Renaissance- Intellectual Themes and Italian
Politics

• When, Where, and Why?
• 15th and 16th centuries
• Why Italy?
• Economic boom
• Decent position to serve as Asia/European trading
  middle man
• Relatively high of cities
• Legacy of classical civilization
• Influx of classical texts from the Arab/Muslim
  world (crusades)

2
The Renaissance

• French, naissance.
• Spanish nacimiento
• Re- naissance???

3
The rebirth of what???
I think I will name my baby Greece Roman!
4
Intellectual Themes

• Reason- Rational thought plus a willingness to
  challenge first principles (Perhaps we are as
  smart as the Greco-Romans!)
• Humanism- the elevation of the human mind as a
  source for knowledge and critical thought (at
  least equal to the bible)
• Aka secularism or individualism
• Humanities- those things that you need to study
  to become a cultured individual
• Medieval fields of study ? law, medicine and
  theology
• Renaissance adds ? history, art, philosophy,
  rhetoric, etc.)
• Education is necessary for good citizenship so
  increasingly non-clergy receive educations in the
  Renaissance

5
Renaissance Themes Didnt Sit Well With the Great
Chain of Being

• Divine right/the Great Chain were not based on
  reason
• Thus, reason threatened those in power

6
Key City States

• Florence- started off the Renaissance and most of
  the time its brightest star
• Rome- High Renaissance

7
Internal Politics in the Italian City States

• They Started out with an advantage ? free of
  Feudalism/the Chain
• At this point they were Communes run by guilds
  (collections of workers organized by trade)
• Then ? Urban nobility v popolo
• Nobility in the surrounding countryside moved
  into the city-states to intermarry with newly
  rich merchants
• These Urban nobles clashed with workers (who
  were referred to as the popolo (the people)
• Popolo often won at first and set up short-lived
  Republics
• These were unstable, largely because the leaders
  of the Republics quickly started to abuse their
  own power and couldnt maintain order
• Wealthy elites used anger at the Republican
  governments to return to power- these elites were
  known as Signori. They were oligarchs. (An
  oligarchy is a rule by a small elite).

8
(cont.)

• Signori/Oligarchs used façades of classical
  government
• Why?
• Wealth of oligarchs, via patronage, which refers
  to financial encouragement and support, spurred
  cultural growth
• De Medicis in Florence
• Sforzas in Milan
• Balance of power/Ambassadors

9
External Italian Politics are Important, too

• Balance of power pro- stability and cultural
  vibrancy in city-states
• Balance of power con- not strong enough to stand
  up to foreign invasion
• Habsburg- Valois Wars
• Fight between the Holy Roman Emperor (a Habsburg)
  and the French (a Valois) for the spoils of the
  Italian city states
• Rome was even sacked by a Habsburg leader
• (Habsburgs) eventually ended up with most of the
  Italian city states (Italy wont exist as a
  country until the mid to late 19th century)

10
The Northern Renaissance

• The Italian Renaissance was extinguished by the
  Habsburg-Valois Wars, but the invaders were
  conquered by Renaissance ideas
• Or, the Renaissance crossed the Alps
• Northern Renaissance
• Mainly in the HRE, the Netherlands, England, and
  France
• More religious - Christian Humanists
• Hoped to reform society (government, education,
  etc.) to more accurately reflect ethics as taught
  by Jesus
• Example- Erasmus more accurate translation of
  the New Testament from Greek
• Erasmus believed that the bible should be
  accessible to everyone thus education was
  important

11

• The End

12
Hansen Name _____________________AP Euro
Period _________ The Renaissance-
Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics (Lecture
1) Note-Taking Guide

• ? Renaissance Themes Didnt Sit Well With
  _________________
• Divine right/the Great Chain were not
  _________________
• Thus, reason threatened those in power
• ? Key City States
• _________- started off the Renaissance and most
  of the time its brightest star
• _________- High Renaissance
• ? Internal Politics in the Italian City States
• They Started out with an advantage ?
  ________________ _________________________________
  ______________
• At this point they were _____________ run by
  guilds (_________________________________________
  __________________________________________)
• Then ? Urban nobility v popolo
• Nobility in the surrounding countryside moved
  into the city-states to __________________________
  _______ __________________________________________
  _
• These Urban nobles clashed with ________ (who
  were referred to as the popolo
  (________________)
• Popolo often won at first and set up
  ______________ ___________________________________
  ________
• These were unstable, largely because the leaders
  of the Republics quickly started to
  __________________ ___________________ and
  couldnt ______________ __________________________
  _________________
• Wealthy elites used anger at the Republican
  governments ______________________ - these elites
  were known as Signori. They were oligarchs.
  (An oligarchy is _______________________________).
  

• ?When, Where, and Why?
• _____th and _____th centuries
• Why Italy?
• Economic boom
• _____________________________________
  _____________________________________
• Relatively high of ___________________________
• Legacy of __________________________________
• Influx of classical texts from ___________________
  _ _________________________________________
• The name Renaissance? ___________________
  __________________________________________
• ?When, Where, and Why?
• Reason- _______________________________________
  ____________________________________________
  (Perhaps we are as smart as the Greco-Romans!)
• Humanism- ____________________________________
  ______________________________________________
  (at least equal to the bible)
• Aka ________________or __________________
• Humanities- those things that you need to study
  to become _________________________
• Medieval fields of study ? law, medicine,
  theology
• Renaissance adds ? ________________________
  _____________________________________, etc.)

13
Hansen Name _____________________AP Euro
Period _________ The Renaissance-
Intellectual Themes and Italian Politics (Lecture
1) Note-Taking Guide

• ? The Northern Renaissance
• The Italian Renaissance was __________________ by
  the Habsburg-Valois Wars, but the invaders were
  ____________ _____________________________________
  ___________
• Or, the Renaissance crossed __________________
• Northern Renaissance
• Mainly in the __________ , the Netherlands,
  England, and France
• ________________- Christian Humanists
• Hoped to reform society (government, education,
  etc.) to more accurately reflect ethics as taught
  by Jesus
• Example- ______________________________
  ______________________________________
• Erasmus believed that the bible should be
  _______________________________ thus
  _________________ was important

• Signori/Oligarchs used façades of classical
  government
• Why? _____________________________________
  __________________________________________
• Wealth of oligarchs, via ________________________,
  which refers to _________________________________
  _____________________________ spurred cultural
  growth
• De Medicis in ______________
• Sforzas in _________________
• Balance of power/Ambassadors
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________
• ? ____________________Italian Politics are
  Important, too
• Balance of power pro- ___________________________
  ______________________________________________
• Balance of power con- ___________________________
  ______________________________________________
• Habsburg- Valois Wars
• Fight between the __________________________ (a
  Habsburg) and ___________________________ (a
  Valois) for the spoils of the Italian city states
• _________________________by a Habsburg leader
• Habsburgs eventually ended up with most of the
  Italian city states (__________________________
  __________________________________________)