Introduction to the Renaissance

The Renaissance• Renaissance means

“rebirth”

• Lasted from around 1350-1600 CE

The Renaissance

• During the Renaissance, people in Europe started living less by religion and began to embrace new ideas and technology

• Started in Italy and then spread across Europe

Government

• Instead of fiefs, Italy formed city-states– Many city-states became wealthy because of trade

Government

Two main types of government emerged in Italy:

• Signoria- Controlled by a ruling family– These developed in smaller cities with only one powerful family

• Republicanism- Groups of wealthy families ruled together– In large cities, there were many wealthy families and they had

to share power– Examples: Florence and Venice

Venice was one of the major cities where the Renaissance movement began. It became wealthy because of trading along the Adriatic Sea.

Venice, Italyfrom above

There are no paved streets in Venice. Only canals and rivers. You must travel from place to place in a boat

Florence, Italy

• Florence was the most important city to the Renaissance movement

– People from Florence: • Leonardo da Vinci• Michelangelo • Niccolo Machiavelli• Raphael

Humanism

• Humanism- A shift in thought away from religion or god being the cause for all events; instead focus was now on science and critical-thinking to solve human’s problems

– The belief that humans could control their destiny

– Used teachings from philosophers from Ancient Greece and Rome

– Led to advances in science, literature, architecture, and art

Humanism

• Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio are considered to be the first Renaissance humanists– They were both poets and writers

• They came up with the concept of less focus on religion and more focus on technology and the spread of new ideas

Petrarch

Boccaccio

Leaning Tower of Pisa

• Completed in 1372

• 183 feet tall

• The foundation of the tower started to sink making it lean

• In recent years, weights have been put on the opposite side to stop the leaning

Sistine Chapel

• Completed in 1481

• Most famous for its ceiling, painted by Michelangelo that tells the story of the Old Testament

• Located in Vatican City, this is where the Pope lives

Mona Lisa• Created in 1503 by

Leonardo Da Vinci

• The most famous painting in the world

• Currently, at the Louvre Museum in Paris

Technology from Middle East

• During the Middle Ages, Muslims in the Middle East and Northern Africa made many scientific advances (math and astronomy)– Brought to Italy across the Mediterranean Sea

through trade

Technology from China

• Venetian trade routes connected through the Silk Road reached as far as China– This brought the idea of block printing and paper-

making to Italy

Printing Press

• In the 1440s, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press

• This greatly increased the number of books, which further led to the spread of ideas and the Humanist movement