Ch 12: The Renaissance Flashcards
Where did the renaissance begin?
Florence, Italy
WHY was Florence the birthplace of the renaissance?
-Trade and prosperity
- On the main road North of Rome which made it a commercial hub
- Wealthy through trade
- Became banking hub
- Wealth allowed the people of Florence to become patrons of the arts
Why was the union between rural nobles and mercantile aristocracy in Renaissance Italy beneficial to both groups?
They both gained political power by creating an oligarchy. The groups became blended by marriage.
How was Italy rule during the renaissance?
Italy was not unified. It was a group of City States.
What were the 5 city states in Italy during the Renaissance?
Venice, Milan, Florence, Naples, and the Papal States
Who ruled the city state of Venice during the renaissance?
It was technically a Republic , but run by an oligarchy of merchant aristocrats
Who ruled the city state of Milan during the renaissance?
Milan was technically a Republic but was actually ruled by the (harsh) Signori Sforzi family.
Who ruled the city state of Florence during the renaissance?
Florence was technically a Republic. In reality it was ruled by the Medici banking family for 3 centuries
Who ruled the city state of Naples during the renaissance?
The King of Aragon.
Who ruled the city state of the Papal States during the renaissance?
Pope Alexander VI
What does “balance of power” mean in the context of the Italian City States?
Whenever one of the Italian city-states appeared to gain a more powerful position the other states work together against it to establish a balance of power
What type of modern diplomacy evolved out of the Italian City States?
Embassies with ambassadors.
Who was Girolamo Savonarola?
Girolamo Savonarola was a Franciscan Friar who preached in Florence that God would punish Italy for its moral vices and corrupt leadership.
Savonarola became the political and religious leader of Florence.
Laws against adultery, same sex relationships, drunkenness…
Bonfire of the vanities
Eventually burned at the stake and Medici family regained control
Who held bonfires of the vanities?
Girolamo Savonarola
A series of conflicts where Italian city states were invaded by foreign armies including France and the Holy Roman Empire
Hapsburg-Valois Wars
Who invaded Rome in 1527?
The Holy Roman Empire under the Emperor Charles V ( Hapsburg-Valois Wars)
Why were the Italian City States during the Renaissance not able to unify?
They had such strong individual identities and pride
How did the Italian City States not being unified make them vulnerable during the Renaissance?
They had no common foreign policy which made them vulnerable to invasion.
When did Italy unify?
Achieved unification in 1870
What is humanism?
It emphasizes the critical study of Latin and Greek literature with the goal of understanding human nature.
Where did humanism begin?
Italy
He thought that writers of his own day should follow ancient models and classical texts. He proposed a new kind of education was called studia humanities (followers called humanists)
Petrarch
Linked the downfall of the Latin language after the death of Cicero to the decline of the Roman Republic. Noted that the renaissance was a “new era”.
Leonardo Bruni
He separated the eras into 3: ancient, medieval, and modern.
Leonardo Bruni
Wrote 900 theses with an introduction called “On the Dignity of Man”
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola