Resumen:

The Italian Renaissance began in a period of great achievements and cultural

changes in Italy that lasted from the end of the 14th century.

Proto- Renaissance 1300-1400

Italian Renaissance: Francesco Petrarca – writer and philosopher and humanist, Giotto - painter and
architect, Bocaccio – writer

Early Renaissance 1400-150

Italian Renaissance: Ghiberti and Donatello - sculptors Brunelleschi-architect Pico- writers against
the Catholic Church, Machiavelli - politician Masaccio, Botticelli - painters

The Papacy returns to Rome, 1420 -Fall of Constantinople - Turkish Ottoman Empire, 1453 Fall of
the Medici- Savonarola

High Renaissance 1500 – 152

Italian Renaissance: Leonardo Da Vinci Michelangelo Raphael Titian- French invasion of Italy
Causes:
● The power of the Church declined as monarchies rose up to consolidate feudal manors into
powerful city-states and nation-states

● Feudal lords concentrated less upon defending their lands and more upon accruing large
quantities of cash.

● The practice of serfdom declined and former serfs soon became tenant farmers and even
landowners

● As the trade of agricultural and manufactured goods grew in importance, cities also became
more important

● Focus expanded to include learning, rationality, and realism.

Consequences:
● Transition from medieval times into modernity

● The rise of strong central governments and an increasingly urban economy, based on commerce
rather than agriculture.

● The works of art and literature produced in Italy between 1350 and 1550 had a profound impact
on the development of Europe during the next centuries

● Travelling became common practice and so the exchange of knowledge did

● The Reformation - the Counter-reformation and the 30 years war

 Geography and economy
Italy prospered during the late Middle Ages, serving as trading posts connecting Europe to the
Byzantine Empire and the Moslem world via the Mediterranean Sea

Commerce empowered regions whose feudal system was not that strong hold, especially in
northern Italy. The most prosperous of these cities—Florence, Venice, and Milan—became powerful
city-states.

the Papal States, centered in Rome, grew to rival the northern cities, and the Pope, exerted a
tremendous influence over Italian life and politics.

Culture and Religión

Was marked by a turn from medieval life and values dominated by the Church toward the
philosophical principles of humanism.

The Italian people, especially the educated middle class, became interested in individual
achievement and emphasized life in this world, as opposed to preparation for life in the next world,
which was stressed by religión

They believed strongly in the potential for individual accomplishment in the arts, literature, politics,
and personal life.

ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans, cast into shadow throughout Europe in medieval times.

to the geographical location of the Italian city-states, which had been built basically on top of the
ruins of the Roman Empire

The Greek influence on the cities of northern Italy was maintained by the trade with the Byzantine
Empire, which had as its byproduct the flow of ideas and history. The Greek influence grew
throughout the late fourteenth century and into the fifteenth, as the Ottoman Turks increasingly
threatened Constantinople, the center of the Byzantine Empire, which finally fell in 1453.
 The fall of Constantinople
The attacking Ottoman army, was commanded by Sultan Mehmed II (later called "the Conqueror"),
while the Byzantine army was led by Emperor Constantine XI. After conquering the city, Mehmed II
made Constantinople the new Ottoman capital.

The Fall of Constantinople marked:

● The end of the Byzantine Empire;

● The end of the Roman Empire, a state which dated back to 27 BC and lasted nearly 1,500 years.

● The entrance to Europe´s mainland and the conquer of t Balkan Peninsula by the Ottomans.

Florence

(is often named as the birthplace of the Renaissance)

As a center for the European wool trade, the political power of the city rested primarily in the hands
of the wealthy merchants who dominated the industry

A spirit of competition developed between the rich merchants, who often competed with each
other to see who could commission the grandest buildings and the finest works of art.

Patrons of art and education

(The Medeci family)

ordered the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. Cosme de 'Medici
sponsored notable artists such as Donatello and Fra Angelico, but his greatest patronage went to
Filippo Brunelleschi for the most important work of the time, the dome of the Cathedral of
Santa Maria del Fiore.

Giovanni di Medici: Banker to the Papal Court, established headquarters in Florence. A wealthy and
influential citizen, who participated in public life.

Cosimo di Medici: He was educated in the principles of humanism. He took over the family banking
business at the age of forty. He generously supported the arts, commissioning the building of great
cathedrals, and commissioning the best artists of the age to decorate them.

Lorenzo di Medici Il Magnifico: Cosimo´s grandson. Under his control, the Florentine economy
expanded significantly and the lower class enjoyed a greater level of comfort and protection than it
had before.
 The Papacy returns to Rome in 1420 –
The Renaissance Papacy
(Papacy was a period of papal history between the Western Schism and the Protestant
Reformation)

The popes of this period were a reflection of the College of Cardinals that elected them. The College
was dominated by cardinal-nephews (relatives of the popes that elevated them), crown-cardinals
(representatives of the Catholic monarchies of Europe), and members of the powerful Italian
families. There were two popes each from the House of Borgia, House of della Rovere, and House
of Medici during this period

Popes

Nicholas V takes the first steps toward turning Rome into a Renaissance city, undertaking many
construction projects and strongly encouraging the arts

Sixtus IV: undertakes many successful projects in Rome, but disgraces the Church through his
corruption and practice of nepotism

Rodrigo Borgia: becomes Pope Alexander VI and is widely known as a corrupt and manipulative
pope, scheming for his family's benefit. Many claim that the Papacy reached its greatest moral
decline of the Renaissance during his pontificate.

Pope Julius II: His ascension of Pope begins the Roman Golden Age, during which the city and Papacy
both prosper. Julius II reverses the trend of moral degradation in the Papacy and takes great steps
in the rebuilding of Rome and St. Peter´s Basilica

Pope Leo X: succeeds Julius II, son of Lorenzo de Medici, continues the trend of the Golden Age,
proving himself a gifted administrator and intelligent patron of the arts. Rome prospers.

Pope Clement VII: Comes to power in difficult times. He soon proves himself an incompetent
politician, and his poor decisions lead to the sack of Rome.

Rome after the fall of the Western Roman Empire

At the start of the fifteenth century, Rome seemed to be at the end of a long decline. The city that
had dominated the entire world centuries earlier was a shadow of its former self. It held perhaps
25,000 inhabitants, was not a great center of commerce, and the papacy, which had long
sustained the city through its riches and international influence, had moved from Rome to Avignon
during the fourteenth century, returning in 1420 under Pope Martin V.
 Venice 1300-1499
the Adriatic Sea, Venice traded with the Byzantine Empire and the Moslem world
extensively. During the late thirteenth century, Venice was the most prosperous city in all
of Europe and dominated the Mediterranean commerce
The city was governed by the Great Council, made up of members of the most influential
families (oligarchy). It appointed all public officials and members of a Senate of 200 to 300
individuals. The Senate chose the Council of Ten, which held the utmost power in the
administration of the city

Milan
is the most northern of the major Italian city-states. Because of its strategic location along
trade lines and as a gateway to Italy from the north necessitated a strong military state.

• The Visconti family ruled as dukes almost continuously from 1317 to 1447,
maintaining the stability and controlling nearly all of northernmost Italy. In 1447 the
last Visconti died, and the Milanese attempted to install a republic which proved
unable to protect the city's military interests
• The Sforza family will rule Milan for years to come. The best known of his
descendents, Ludovico Sforza, “Il Moro”, made the city flourished in his care even if
he was not the rightful duke of Milan and was known to use coercion and
manipulation to achieve his political goals