3. Renaissance
• (REHN-ih-SAHNS) means rebirth. In
this case the rebirth of art and
learning.
• During the Middle Ages, Europeans suffered
from both war and plague. By the year
1300, they started to question the
structures of medieval society.
• Educated people started to reject
medieval values and look to the
classical past for ideas
5. Italy- Home of the Renaissance
• The Renaissance began in
northern Italy around 1300.
• Italy had 3 advantages that
fostered the Renaissance
– Thriving cities
– A wealthy merchant class
– The classical heritage of Greece and
Rome
7. • NO! There
would be no
unified
country
known as
Italy until the
late 1800’s.
8. New trade routes
• New trade routes lead to the growth of
large city-states in northern Italy. (a city
state is a city which is governed on its own,
it is not part of a larger country).
• Northern Italy was urban while the rest of
Europe was still rural
• Where did these new trade routes come
from?
• What is the difference between urban and
rural
9. The Bubonic Plague
• The bubonic plague
struck cities of
Europe, killing 60%
of the population.
• As a result, laborers
could demand
higher wages and
shrank
opportunities for
business expansion.
With limited
opportunities for
business expansion,
wealthy merchants
began to pursue
interests such as art.
10. Florence
• was one of the
most powerful
city states. It
collected taxes
and had its own
army.
• Because it was
relatively small, a
large number of
citizens were
involved in
politics
11. Life in Florence
• Merchants were
the wealthiest,
most powerful
class in Florence.
They dominated
politics.
• Merchants did
not inherit social
rank, they had to
earn it in
business.
12. Cosimo De Medici
• The most
powerful family
in Florence was
the De Medici
family.
• The De Medicis
made a fortune in
trade and
banking.
Cosimo was the wealthiest
European of his time.
13. Classical Heritage
• Wealthy merchants such as the
DeMedicis aided the Renaissance
by supporting the arts.
• Renaissance scholars looked
down on the art and literature of
The Middle Ages, they wanted to
return to the works of the ancient
Greeks and Romans.
14. Humanism
• The study of classical works led to
humanism, which focused on human
potential and achievements.
• What does that mean?
15. Secular life becomes the norm
• Rather than
showing their faith
by wearing rough
clothes or eating
plain foods, the
church became
more worldly or
secular.
• Instead of
salvation, they were
concerned with now
16. The Renaissance Man
• A “Renaissance Man” was a man who
strove to achieve in every area of
study.
• A young man should be charming, witty
and well educated in the classics. He
should dance, sing, play music and write
poetry. He should be a skilled rider,
wrestler and swordsman.
• ABOVE ALL HE SHOULD
HAVE SELF CONTROL!!!
17. The Renaissance Woman
• Upper class women were expected to know
the classics and be charming.
• Women were not expected to seek fame.
They were expected to inspire art, but rarely
to create it.
• Women were better educated than women
of the Middle Ages, but had less influence
than medieval women did.
