Section+17-1+Italy+Birthplace+of+the+Renaissance

Key Words:

 * __Renaissance__: A period of time where there was an explosion of creativity in art and writing that lasted in 1300-1600, started in Italy.
 * __Humanism__: An intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements, started by the study of classical texts
 * __Secular__: Worldly rather then spiritually.
 * __Patron__: Church leaders that would spend massive amounts of money for buying art.
 * __Perspective__: Shows three dimensions on a flat surface.
 * __Vernacular__: Native language.

Key People:

 * __Cosimo de Medici__: The wealthiest European of his time, dictator of Florence for 30 years after winning control in 1434, did not take office himself, but influenced others.

Key Terms:

 * Italy's Advantages:**
 * Renaissance means rebirth, and this era was called this because of the renewal of arts and learning, looked back to Greek and Rome, but also created new versions of art. New values: importance of an individual.
 * Started in Italy, spread through Europe, Italy's advantages: wealthy merchants, thriving cities, and descendants of Greek and Romans.
 * City-States:**
 * Italy made many cities during crusades, northern Italy was urban, cities is where ideas are spread, many of Europe was rural.
 * The Bubonic plague hit in the 1300s killing up to 60% of the population, delayed renaissance, hard on economic (less workers, less money).
 * Merchants and the Medici:**
 * Wealthy merchant classes were developed, in smaller cities there was less of a population, so more could be involved with government, merchants dominated government, they also had to work to become wealthy, not born into it, so they thought they deserved it.
 * Late 1200s, Medici was a banking family, very powerful and spread all over.
 * Cosimo died in 1464, his grandson took control in 1469, Lorenzo the Magnificent, dictator but kept in good eye with an elected government.
 * Looking at Greece and Rome:**
 * Renaissance scholars did not like Middle Age art, looked at Greek and Roman art by: drawing Roman ruins themselves, studied ancient Latin manuscript in monasteries, when Turks took over Constantinople in 1453 they fled to Rome with Greek literature.
 * Classical and Worldly Values:**
 * Manuscripts showed new ways in life and art.
 * Classics Lead to Humanism:**
 * Humanists carried on classical traditions in art and architects and they studied history, literature, and philosophy, or humanities.
 * Worldly Pleasures:**
 * Humanists thought one could enjoy live without offending God, during this time, the wealthy in Italy had good music and good food.
 * Some remained loyal to the Church, but even some Church leaders lived in mansions, had lavish banquets and wore nice clothing.
 * Patrons of the Arts:**
 * Church leaders, merchants, and other wealthy people were patrons of the art and showed their importance by either getting portraits drawn or by donating art to the city.
 * The Renaissance Man:**
 * Writers said the educated made art, universal, or Renaissance, man was a man who excelled in many studies, which is what many strove to accomplish.
 * Baldassare Castigione wrote //The Courtier// (1528) which explained how to become a universal man, must be charming, witty, educated in classics, dance, sing, musician, poet, horse rider, wrestler, and swordsman.
 * The Renaissance Woman:**
 * The Courtier also said upper-class women should know classics and be charming, be inspiring but not create, had little influence in politics.
 * Few had power, including Isabela d'Este who ruled city-state Ferrara (born into it) and married another ruler of the city-state Mantua, she had many artists, accomplished in politics, defended her land and got her husband back when he was captured.
 * The Renaissance Revolutionizes Art:**
 * Many artists in northern Italy, artistic styles changes, still some religious subjects, more realistic, Greek and Roman art very popular, as well as perspective.
 * Realistic Painting and Sculpture:**
 * Emphasized on individuals and their characteristics, sculptors, poets, architects, painters, Michelangelo Buonarroti all used realistic styles when making the human body.
 * Donatello sculpted with more natural poses and expressions, giving personality, made David (Bible king) in 1460s, many sculptors of this time liked making the sculptors in the nude.
 * Leonardo, Renaissance Man:**
 * Leonardo da Vinci, painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist, interested in how things work (muscles, vain patterns), filled his notebook with observations and put his findings in art.
 * He made Mona Lisa, very realistic, many trying to find meaning behind her smile, he also made The Last Supper, shows Jesus' disciples personalities.
 * Raphael Advances Realism:**
 * Raphael learned from studying others' work, famous for perspective, liked gentle and calm.
 * He filled Pope Julius II's library with paintings, he painted School of Athens, and famous Renaissance figures (Michelangelo, Leonardo, etc.)
 * Anguissola and Gentileschi:**
 * Women restricted during this time, but not all women, some notable painters, Sofonisba Anguissola was the first women artist with international reputation, known for painting her sisters and famous people, and Artemisia Gentileschi painted with her father and helped with his work, she painted strong heroic women.
 * Renaissance Writers Change Literature:**
 * Writers of this time also reflected what was going around them, they wrote in self-expression ways or to portray the individuality of their subjects, began future trends.
 * Petrarch and Boccaccio:**
 * Fransesco Petrarch was one of the earliest and most influential humanists, father of Renaissance humanism, poet, wrote in Italian and Latin, sonnets and friends, and woman named Laura.
 * Boccaccio, Italian writer, wrote Decameron, which is a group of colorful stories, and is tragic and comic, presents characters in all their individuality.
 * Machiavelli Advises Rulers:**
 * Niccoló Machiavelli wrote The Prince (1513) examines imperfect conduct of humans but in politics, says how one ruler could gain and keep power, says most are selfish, fickle, and corrupt.
 * The Prince cares more about politics then morales, says that one must trick enemies and even his people for the good of the state.
 * Says that people think one should keep his word, but in the real world princes sometimes need to mislead his people and lie to enemies, he must be crafty but gain trust.
 * Vittoria Colonna:**
 * Famous women writers wrote about personal subjects, yet some were great influences, Vittoria Colonna (1492-1547) born in a noble family, 1509 married Marquis of Pescara who spent his life on military campaigns.
 * She exchanged notes with Michelangelo, helped publish The Courtier, her poems expressed personal emotions.
 * End of 15th century, Renaissance began to spread out of northern Italy.