Intro. to the Renaissance and Reformation

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Intro. to the Renaissance and Reformation
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Essential Questions

1. What are key characteristics of the Renaissance?
2. Why did Italian city-states play such a key role
   in starting the Renaissance?
3. How did idea of the Renaissance differ from those
   in the Middle Ages?

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Renaissance

1. Means rebirth
2. Started in Italy, 1350 AD
3. Characterized by development of new creativity,
   optimism, and cultural achievement.

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Contrast to grimness of the Middle Ages
Plagues

• Wars

Spend life preparing for the afterlife
Decreased power of the church
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Italy-The Launching Point

• Centrally located between Eastern and Western
  Europe and the Middle East.
• Surrounded and captivated by remnants of Greek
  and Roman culture.
• Italians had wealth to build libraries and
  acquire and restore art.

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Italy-The Launching Point

• Patrons encouraged art, literature, and
  scholarship.
• -Lorenzo de Medici (Me-duh-chee) invited others
  to use his large collection of art and
  literature. Expanded university of Florence.
• Family controlled most of Florence

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New Attitudes of the Renaissance

• Thinking on life went from preparation for the
  afterlife to living life on Earth as full as
  possible. (Greek and Roman influence)
• Interested in developing individual talents.
• A. Humans could achieve anything!
• B. Ideal person educated, witty, charming,
  athletic, and artistic (well rounded).
• Humanities are studied.

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Public Service

• Valued public service and praised those useful to
  society.
• (Greek and Roman influence)
• 2. Machiavelli wrote a handbook for rulers
  actions must only be judged by results.

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Key to Expanding the Ideas Printing Press

1. Making books is cheaper more people reading
   literacy widespread.
2. More books published scholars had access to one
   anothers works, past and present.
3. Printing carried Renaissance north into France,
   England, Germany, and the Netherlands. (England
   Sir