The Renaissance - Renaissance Questions Flashcards
Give 3 general reasons why the location of city-states in Italy were so successful.
- Geography: Since the Italian city-states were close to port cities, and were near the sea, transporting goods by sea were easier and cheaper for traders in Italian cities than for those of other European countries.
- Climate: The climate of the Italian city-states was milder than Europeans countries, so trade wasn’t interrupted by the winter weather. This attracted traders.
- Social Organization: Feudalism didn’t have a strong hold on the Italian city-states. Due to their location, they were able to make their own government and social structure. They were blocked off by mountains, so feudalism didn’t effect them.
Explain why the Italian City-States became so powerful and important to the rest of Europe.
They controlled all the sea routes, which meant they were the center of trade. They were able to go get goods from the middle east, and bring them back to Italy. When they brought it back to Italy, they could sell it to Europe for 3 times the original price. This made them very very wealthy, which made them extremely powerful. With this wealth, they were able to sponsor many artists and other people, which began the spread of ideas - THE RENAISSANCE.
Why was Italy seen as Europe’s Gateway to the East? How did increased trade lead to the emergence of powerful city-states in Italy?
- Italy had controlled most of the sea routes for trade. These sea routes connected the western world to eastern world. This made Italy seem as Europe’s Gateway to the East.
- Increased trade led to the emergence of powerful city-states in Italy because they became very successful and wealthy through trade. People began to move to these city-states in order to become wealthy and be involved in trade. This made these city-states very powerful.
What are the four reasons for economic success in the Italian City-States? Explain them.
Geography: They lived near sea ports, so transporting these goods by sea was easier and cheaper for traders in
Italian cities than for those of other European countries.
Climate: They had mild weather, so trade and travel were not interrupted by the winter weather.
Leadership: They had their own governments, armies, and controlled their own affairs, so they were able to control their trade and become very wealthy.
Social Organization: Feudalism did not have a strong hold in Italy. In Italy, the nobles tended to move into the towns, where they took their place in the upper classes of urban society. Many of them became involved in business and politics. This made no class poor, there were wealthy and middle.
Describe Florence, Genoa, and Venice.
Florence: Florence was an Italian city-state. It was at the center of the Renaissance - where ideas first began to be rebirthed. Florence was the wealthiest city-state, that it was able to buy cities surrounding it, from their rulers. In this way, Florentines extended power and control over more and more of the region, making them extremely powerful. During the Renaissance, as trade increased, it became the center of highly successful bankers and silk and wool merchants. Through their banking and business dealings, Florentines were exposed to may new cultures, societies, ideas, and knowledge. From here, all these ideas eventually spread to the rest of Europe. It was a republic but didn't last because of power struggles. By 1435, one powerful family, the Medici, took control of the city and under their leadership, Florence became the center of the Renaissance in Italy. This family supported artists, architects, and scholars developing Florence into a city rich in works of art, and architectural designs. Through this city, ideas of citizenship were promoted and those with wealth and power believed they had a responsibility to carry out positive civic works. Florentine society was based on a class system, but as the merchant class got wealthier, they were able to move up the social ladder. People in the merchant class were called the "fat people" and were organized into guilds. The peasants were workers and shoemakers that were called the "little people." Most of them moved to the city to work in the fabric industries. They were not allowed to be members of the guilds. The nobles (upper class) still owned most of the land and continued to live on estates outside the city.
Genoa: Genoa was another Italian city-state during the Renaissance. It was also very wealthy and successful in trade. Its location and the initiative of its citizens made
Genoa one of medieval Europe’s major centers of
trade and commerce. When the Genovese navy gained control of Constantinople, in 1261, trade in the Black Sea began. Genoa’s traders quickly developed markets at key ports on this sea, exporting and importing many exotic and luxury goods. There were many wealthy families in Genoa, and with this expansion and trade, they opened a new bank; the Banco San Giorgio
(Bank of St. George), to finance both the trade and the navy of Genoa. This made Genoa extremely wealthy and allowed Genovese merchants, shipbuilders, traders, and the navy to borrow money at low rates and, therefore, was able to build more ships and hire more sailors. More ships allowed Genovese traders to expand their territory and to increase trade with the Arab Muslim world, bringing huge wealth to the city-state of Genoa. Due to their economic success, their population sky-rocketed. It was run/organized into a republic but later turned into a democracy. However, after Genoa’s strength declined, France (city-state of Milan) took control of Genoa. After Genoa gained its independence again, it experienced the Renaissance. Wealthy Genovese families paid for the creation of daring architecture and art, making Genoa very beautiful.
Venice: Venice was also a city-state. It was very very wealthy and controlled many many sea routes for trade. It was known for connecting the eastern world, with the west. Venice was greatly influenced by the East, that it was considered more of an eastern city, than a western one. It was more successful in sea trade than any other city-state because it had built up a strong shipyard, naval base, and armory. The merchant class became very wealthy through trade with the East. Their location gave them an advantage point in trade, as they were able to access/connect with other trading ports across the world, through fast sea routes. The new merchant class supported the arts, so artists flocked to the city. It had a stable form of government (republic). Venice became the center of the European book trade. It was the first Italian city-state to use the mechanical printing press for commercial purposes. Books of all kinds were printed: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew texts for scholars; romances, novels, and elementary readers; musical scores; atlases and maps; illustrated anatomical and botanical. It also had a famous university that promoted the study of science, medicine, and law.
Who was the Medici family? How were they so successful?
The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy. The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. The Medici family was a powerful influence in Florence for three centuries from the mid-1400s to the mid-1700s. As well as controlling the government, the oligarchy was wealthy enough to pay for some of the most beautiful and innovative churches, buildings, and monuments in Florence, employ and support many of the most famous Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects, study and collect the works of ancient Greek and Roman authors, and hold social events to discuss ideas and art.
What ideas from classical times (Greek and Roman times) helped shape the Renaissance humanist worldview? Give specific examples from the section.
Many ideas from classical times helped shape the Renaissance humanist worldview. These ideas included:
Their ancient/classical writings about:
- Arts
- Society
- History
- Politics
- The classical concept of the belief in the dignity and potential of the individual
Also, in Italy, ruins of buildings from the ancient times were everywhere. When the humanists saw this, they thought if the ancient people could build buildings, they could as well. This began the development of buildings.
How can thinkers and philosophers bring about change in society?
There were many thinkers and philosophers, during the Renaissance, and were often the intellectual leaders of their communities. Some of these thinkers and philosophers had important positions in government, the church, and at royal courts. Due to their positions, they were able to affect many aspects of Renaissance society. They were able to introduce new ideas, values, beliefs, etc. Thinkers and philosophers influenced society in the development of a humanist worldview during the Renaissance era, through their ideas and morals.
What does the art of this time tell us about Renaissance society?
The art of this time tells us that society greatly valued art and paintings. Patrons - people who paid artists to produce works, began to rise in the Renaissance because of how much they adored and admired the paintings at the time. They played an important role in promoting these arts. Usually, the wealthy class, government, or Church would support these paintings, as they were beautiful and greatly valued.
In what ways can shifts in ideas affect a society’s worldview? Give specific examples and link them to specific worldview elements.
Shifts in ideas can greatly affect a society’s worldview, as they influence the way society thinks. It changes the way they think about certain aspects of their lives. During the Renaissance, many new shifts in ideas took place that affected the society’s worldviews. Some of these effects on their worldviews are:
- Knowledge: Humanists began to open up schools of their own, and began to teach children. The citizens were no longer only taught by the church but were now taught by proper teachers in proper schools.
- Beliefs: Humanists began to translate the Bible, which led to the different interpretations of the Bible. These interpretations divided Christianity into many groups. These groups thought the same about religion and made their own choices for their own religions.
There were many other shifts in worldviews, but these are just a couple.
Why was the term Renaissance used for this time? What does it mean?
The term “Renaissance” was used for this time because this was when the ideas and values of ancient times were “reborn.” Renaissance in french meant “rebirth” and since the Renaissance was the rebirth of classical/ancient ideas, it fit well.
What specific areas of the Greek and Roman civilizations did Renaissance humanists look at?
- Their writings
- Their art
- Their society
- Their politics
- Their history
What three intercultural contacts lead to the Humanist Worldview?
- Greek Civilization
- Roman Civilization
- Islamic Civilization
What are the four main beliefs of the humanist about the individual?
- Human beings can use the power of reason, that is, thinking to find truth for themselves.
- It is important for a person to have an open, curious, and questioning mind.
- People can achieve great things through learning.
- Individuals should be skilled in many different areas. They should develop not just their minds but also their bodies and spirits.
What do civic humanists believe is important?
Civic humanists believed that being a responsible citizen meant educating yourself
about the history and political issues and working to improve society. They found this very important because they wanted the citizens to be informed and good members of society.
What does the phrase “educating the whole child” mean?
“Educating the whole child” meant to educate and train the youth’s characters and bodies and their minds. This was important to humanist teachers who ran their own schools. This approach to education was called “educating the whole child.”
What were some new studies that were added during the Renaissance? Why do you think these studies were added?
- Greek and Roman writings
- Physical training
- Ethics and morality (Right behavior)
- Aesthetics (Philosophy of beauty)
- Manners and behavior
- History
- Eloquence (Persuasiveness)
I think these studies were added during the Renaissance, because the classical writings were very valued, and included all of these things. Humanists also began to care and value the human/individual more, so these studies helped promote/expand their values. They wanted to emphasize the ideas and values such as individual achievement and the importance of history and the arts.
How was religion at this time different from the Middle Ages?
At this time, humanists admired and studied the classical texts that were written before Christianity. The middle ages, however, based their religion on what was believed after Christianity/Christianity itself. Religion played an important role in the lives of both the Medieval and Renaissance people.
How is Renaissance art different from Medieval Art?
- Renaissance art focused on portraying the beauty of the human body and the natural world, while Medieval art had religious themes. Although the Renaissance art also had religious themes, they were interpreted in new ways, fitting their focus.
- Renaissance art focused on the artistic elements, while the Medieval art didn’t really focus on anything but the religious message they were trying to convey.
Explain how the eight worldview elements changed in the Middle Ages times to Renaissance times.
The eight worldview elements of the Europeans changed drastically from the Middle Ages to Renaissance times. Geography: The peasants were able to leave finally leave their fiefdoms/serfdoms because of the rise of trade, exploration, and crusades, during the Renaissance. They were able to flee into the city to be involved in trade, they were able to leave their cities to participate in the crusades, and some even to be involved in exploration. Time: During the Middle Ages they were up and down with the sun and worked all day, but now they had more time and freedom. They were able to do their work in relaxation and were less strict with their time. Also, clocks were being invented to tell time. Beliefs: Church was less powerful and believed in it because people began to question its teachings and began to interpret it the way they wanted. This made them begin to think for themselves. The Bible was translated into the vernacular, and religion began to attack the church for their wrongful lies and teachings, so people began to stop believing the church. Society: Feudalism fell, so now people were more equal regarding their social class/status. This introduced a new class - the middle class of wealthy merchants. Economy: Trade brought in more and more money. People were more equal now in their wealth since trade brought more wealth. Knowledge: A lot more knowledge was being passed through trade, crusades, and exploration/expansion. Humanists with classical ideas got their knowledge from the classical writings that they dug up from the Greek, Roman, and Islamic civilizations. Humanists that were scientists introduced many new studies in western Europe including astronomy, mathematics, calculus, autopsies, and the scientific method, which they invented. Many humanists were dedicated teachers that opened their own schools and taught the youth many ideas. Values: Stopped valuing the church as much and began to value classical writings. People and humanists in the Renaissance era greatly valued the classical writings from the Roman and Greek civilizations. These writings greatly influenced their actions and views. Art was also greatly valued. The wealthy people greatly valued art and its beauty. Patrons began to be common during the Renaissance since they all loved the art and wanted to display it around the city. Many people also valued wealth, as they wanted to be able to buy art and writings, and sponsor the talented humanists. Also, through trade, they got wealth, which everyone wanted.
Many changes in science occurred during the renaissance. Explain how these 4 sciences changed in the renaissance. Do not just list words but explain how the science changed. At least 2 examples per science. Astronomy Medicine anatomy mathematics
Astronomy:
- For thousands of years, right up until the
Renaissance, most people believed that the Sun went around the Earth. Europeans believed that God had placed the Earth at the center of the universe and that everything revolved around the Earth. New theories that arose during the Renaissance challenged the Europeans view of the universe. The astronomer, Nicolas Copernicus, proved that Earth is a planet that
moves around a stationary Sun through ideas from ancient Greek astronomers whose ideas were not accepted in their day. Other astronomers found that planets traveled in an elliptical (oval) orbit and that the universe was sun-centered.
- Up until the Renaissance, people believed that the Earth was flat. During the Renaissance, however, it was proved that the Earth was round.
Medicine:
- Doctors had little accurate information about the human body and medicine. For example, during the Black Death, they didn’t know how to treat patients. During the Renaissance, knowledge of traditional and herbal remedies played an important role treating the
sick. These remedies were introduced by the First Nations. Remedies from the environment have always been an important part of healing for First Nations peoples. - Surgery and human discoveries were also introduced during the Renaissance.
Anatomy:
- During the Renaissance, dissection was made legal for the purposes of study in many Italian cities. This made people learn and understand the human body and how it functions. This knowledge was applied in schools, in which a professor would dissect a human in front of his students.
- This dissection created books of images/sketches of the human body. This introduced surgery and medicine discoveries during the Renaissance and gave people much more accurate information about humans.
Mathematics:
- The works of ancient mathematical scientists like geometry and algebra were studied strictly during the Renaissance. Thinkers believe that mathematics was the basic tool for understanding the universe.
- Mathematics was also an important part of Europe’s changing economy. As trade and commerce grew, knowledge of mathematics became essential for members of the merchant class.
- Mathematics was used by painters, sculptors, engineers, architects, and musicians. Renaissance artists used the rules of “perspective” which makes the images in paintings look as they would in life. Perspective fools the eye of the viewer into thinking that the image has depth. This used mathematics to make this effect.
Write a paragraph discussing how that idea influenced the world we live in today. Give at least three reasons
Leadership was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
Science was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
Art was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
Religion was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
Leadership was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
- Leaders had their own views on how a leader must act in order to protect their people, power, and their state. These leaders’ ideas had impacted many people and had spread all over Europe, changing how leadership is through these ideas and theories. These theories had changed the way people thought about leadership and had made people in power act differently.
EXAMPLE: Niccolò Machiavelli was a leader who observed people and governments. These observations led him to new ways of thinking about leadership and power. His observations led him to write a book, called the Prince. He wrote about how a leader must sometimes act in order to protect their power and state. He wrote about how they sometimes need to be greedy and that they don’t have to keep acting like good men in order to protect their power and their state. His theories were very controversial, but are still considered and used ‘till this day.
- People began to see the corruption that was taking place in the church. The people with the authority of the church were not behaving properly/appropriately. Some Church leaders and some priests took advantage of their authority to gain power and money for themselves and members of their families. Some bishops and cardinals “bought” their titles. Some priests did not honor their vow of poverty but spent the Church’s money on themselves. This led to people complaining and complaining about this corruption. Also, the translation of the Bible had made people see how the church was deceiving them, which led to their complaints. These complaints grew louder over the years.
EXAMPLE: A man named Girolamo Savonarola had dedicated his life to fighting against the corruption he saw in the Church and in society. Also, Martin Luther fought against this corruption and exposed the church. After writing his Ninety-Five thesis he was sentenced to death. He went into hiding, as people began to read his ideas and books. They opened a church and protested against the Catholic Church. This was the Protestant Reformation.
- Born into leadership - leaders were growing into the Renaissance times. This helped them spread value and humanism thinking. They changed their way of life to fit the Renaissance time. Many leaders in the past weren’t as open to the ideas of the Renaissance, but the leaders that were born into it had a grasp of what it was like, and promoted it.
EXAMPLE: Isabella D’Este was a girl that grew up during the Renaissance and met many famous humanist scholars and artists. When she was 16 she married the Duke of Mantua. Their court became a center of learning, music, and visual arts. Isabella’s brilliant mind was much admired and she became known as “the first lady of the world.” She was able to be a leader and enjoyed political life and became a strong and effective leader. Her connections with the ideas of the Renaissance had spread and encouraged other leaders to promote the ideas and values of the Renaissance.
Science was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
- Scientific Method = Humanism was spreading through all of Europe. Humanism was encouraging people to question, experiment, making observations, and drawing conclusions. This was known as the “scientific method.” Many areas that were changed in science were:
- Astronomy = They proved the Earth wasn’t flat by using Ancient Greek Astronomers’ ideas. These ideas were not accepted in their classical day by other people. Also, astronomers were able to discover that the Earth is a planet that moves around a stationary Sun. This was discovered by the Polish Nicolaus Copernicus and was further confirmed by Galileo Galilei. Also, Johannes Kepler Concluded that planets traveled in an elliptical
(oval) orbit, not perfect circles as Copernicus believed. By applying the scientific method, they were able to find all these discoveries. - Medicine/Anatomy = Traditional and herbal remedies were used as medicine because of what the Europeans had seen and learned from the First Nations. By applying the scientific method, they were able to dissect human bodies and learn bout them.
Art was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
- Mathematics was brought from the Muslims/Islamic Civilization. This had created perspective in arts using geometry. Mathematics was used by painters, sculptors,
engineers, architects, and musicians. Geometry and perspective had turned the two-dimensional images on paintings into three-dimensional images.
- People began to think of new ideas on how to bring their paintings to life. They began to use brighter colors. A man named Donatello created the casting of bronze statues that made them pop out. This new technique was introduced, as sculptors began using it more ofter.
- New inventions and styles for art were being invented. These inventions were spread all through Europe, as artists began to use them in order to build their paintings. For example, oil painting was invented by a member of the Bellini family, in which it was sed for the next thousand years.
Religion was changed by the exchange of ideas because…
- Through trade routes, religions were being passed along, surfacing Europe. For example, during trade, the religion of Buddhism was spread through the routes and reached the Europeans. Many Europeans began to believe in Buddhism, and less of Christianity remained.
- People were beginning to notice the awful behavior in the churches by the people of authority. They were acting extremely inappropriately, and went against their vows, trying to make money for themselves. This made people believe that the church was unorganized and that they needed to stop relying on it.
- Corruption led to the Protestant Reformation. When Martin Luther had publicly announced his opinion and translation of the Bible, he went into hiding as the court and church had sentenced him to death. When people/Germans began reading his books he agreed with him and broke up with the Catholic church and opened a new church. They began protesting against the church’s approval for reform until they eventually
achieved a Reformation.
- Also, the impact of the printing press on the translation of the Bible had been great. Using the printing press, writers were able to translate the bible into the vernacular. The new interpretations of the Bible had changed people’s thoughts of Christianity, creating a division of Christianity in which different groups believed different things.
How can discoveries in the sciences shape people’s worldviews? Link your answers to specific worldview elements.
Scientific discoveries can greatly affect and shape people’s worldviews.
- Beliefs: These new teachings challenged what was said in the Bible - this meant what scientists were discovering wasn’t said in the Bible. This made people have a different view on what they believed in. Many people believed the knowledge that was brought by the scientists, forgetting about what their religion taught them. Because this was such a severe issue, scientists were taken to jail, and even killed because what they discovered was against the church and the Bible’s teachings. Also, science made people believe differently about humans and our universe. It had introduced many ideas about the universe (astronomy) that challenged people’s current ideas of it, and anatomy brought new ideas about the human body that weren’t accepted by the church.
- Knowledge: Scientists were able to re-introduce ideas from the Roman, Greek, and Islamic civilizations to teach others about them. Things like mathematics, astronomy, and calculus were taken from the Islamic civilization and helped scientists learn and teach others. Now people were not only learning about the Bible and religion but were also learning about math and space. Scientists also invented the scientific method, which also played an important part in learning, as people needed to question in order to learn more.
- Values: Many people began to value these discoveries more than their own church because they believed what these scientists were teaching, was true, and that the church’s teachings were not. This made people value church and religion less, and science and discoveries more.
What roles do leaders play in changing or maintaining a worldview? Link your answers to specific worldview elements.
Leaders play a huge role in changing or maintaining a worldview. People are all influenced by a big power or leader. The influence these leaders have on their inferiors, build their worldview and perspective on the world. All leaders have their own view on things as well, so their view can also have an effect on other worldviews.
- Beliefs: A leader has a major impact on one’s beliefs. A leader may enforce new things that people begin to believe as they are influenced by their leaders. For example, when the church was the main leader in the Middle Ages, they had enforced principles that people believed. They said that if you came to church and donated you were guaranteed a good afterlife. They also said the same about the crusades. Leaders may also lead a new prophecy/introduce a new religion or way of seeing a religion. Just like the church was able to put the religion of Christianity on people, so do leaders.
- Values: Leaders enforce and promote certain things they value and want the people they rule to value as well. For example: When the Medici family was in power, they had greatly promoted art and architecture. This made people greatly value art and want to become involved in the profession.
- Knowledge: Leaders may introduce many new ideas through their leadership that will educate the people they rule.
- Society: The way a leader organizes their society has a great impact on one’s societal worldview. For example, when Europe was organized into feudalism, people followed it and didn’t really question it. When they saw other societies, however, their view changed, as they also wanted to change their society.
- Economy: How a leader ruled their city and the wealth they brought to it, also effected people’s worldviews. If a leader had brought in lots of wealth, their people would be able to do many things and not worry about money. This would have also made the people more wealthy, which they really wanted.
