Renaissance/Reformation Test Flashcards
Renaissance
a great flowering of culture, based on classical Greek and Roman ideas and art, that began in Italy and spread throughout Europe
Humanism
a philosophy that tries to balance religious faith with an emphasis on individual achievements and an interest in nature and humanity
Medici Family
An Italian family from Florence who became rich from banking and trading. They would help fund the Renaissance throughout Florence and Italy.
City-State
an independent state consisting of a city and its surrounding territory
Vernacular
common language
Printing Press
An invention first created in China, then modified with movable type by Johannes Guttenberg in Germany. It allowed for the quick and cheap copying of book which allowed information to move more freely.
Reformation
a religious reform movement from the early 1500s to the 1600s that led to the formation of new Christian groups
Martin Luther
a German priest who broke away from the Catholic Church to start his own religion, Lutheranism. His posting of the Ninety-Five Theses started the Reformation.
Indulgences
a grant by the Catholic Church that people could buy to ensure they went to heaven.
Simony
the selling and buying of positions in the Catholic Church
Silk Road
a network of trade routes connecting China and Europe that stretched for more than four thousand miles across Asia
Astrolabe
A device that could help chart locations based on the position of celestial bodies like the stars, moon, and sun.
Magnetic Compass
A device that could help explorers easily tell which direction they were headed in.
Caravel
A small, easily maneuverable ship that allowed for quicker travel across long distances.
What made the Italian City-States different from the rest of Europe during the Middle Ages
- Italy was not a unified kingdom but instead was made up of several independent city-states.
- Italy’s population stayed largely urban during the Middle Ages rather than sticking to isolated, rural manors.
- Italy’s location and cities allowed city-states there to continue trading throughout the Mediterranean sea while trade ground to a halt in the rest of Europe. This made Italy incredibly wealthy.
