Transcript Renaissance and Discovery

Renaissance and Discovery
Mrs. Tucker
Victor Valley High School
Renaissance – 1375 - 1527
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a transition between the medieval and
modern worlds
a time of unprecedented cultural
creativity.
Italian city-states, with their extensive
trade networks and their competition
with one another, were great incubators
for artistic expression, political innovation,
and humanistic studies.
the important elements of humanism
included studies of Classical languages and
arts, and moral preparation of the
individual for a life of virtuous action.
Authors and artists such as Petrarch,
Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci,
Raphael, and Michelangelo, exemplify the
values of Renaissance humanism.
Italy’s Political Decline
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In the late 15th century, the balance of
power between Italian city-states that had
been enforced through the Treaty of Lodi
started to unravel.
In 1495, at the invitation of the Milanese
leader Ludovico il Moro, French king Charles
VIII invaded Italy and conquered Florence.
This invasion triggered several rounds of
diplomacy, alliance-making, and strategic
marriages between popes, leaders of Italian
city-states, French kings, and the rulers of
Aragon and Brittany, among others.
After a quarter-century and various military
conflicts, the end result was political
fragmentation and military weakness in Italy.
In 1513, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The
Prince, in which he argued that only a strong
and cunning dictator could unify Italy.
Revivial
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Sovereign monarchies, in which kings and their
appointed agents – usually townspeople, not
nobility – control national policies on taxation,
warfare, and law enforcement, emerged in France,
Spain, and England in the late 15th century.
In France, Charles VII and, later, Louis XI were able
to capitalize on the French victories over England
and Burgundy, to expand French territory, build
trade and industry, and suspend the Estates
General.
In Spain, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon
married in 1469, and they proceeded to impose
state control on religion, arrange marriages for their
children that would shape future European history,
and sponsor global exploration.
In England, Henry VII founded the Tudor dynasty
and instituted the Court of Star Chamber, which
allowed him to govern independently of Parliament.
In Northern Europe, the Holy Roman Empire
(Germany) was the main example of a country that
did not develop a strong centralized monarchy in
this period.
Northern Renaissance
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The Renaissance spread from Italy to
Northern Europe through traders and
merchants, students, religious practitioners,
and others.
Humanism in the North, however, was more
interested in religious reforms and in
spreading its message to a broad audience
than Italian humanism had been.
Gutenberg's invention of the moveable-type
printing press facilitated the wide
dissemination of texts.
Erasmus exemplified Northern humanists'
interest in reform of the Catholic Church.
In Germany, England, and France, humanism
laid the groundwork for the Reformation, but
in Spain, humanism, like most other aspects
of culture, was controlled by Ferdinand and
Isabella, and therefore did not challenge the
Church.
Voyages
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In the 15th century, Europeans began to
expand which eventually led to European
control over huge regions of the globe.
Searching for gold, spices, and later, slaves,
the Portuguese, Spanish, and others
established maritime trade routes to the
coasts of Africa, India, and the Americas.
Spain established an empire in what
became Latin America, introducing
Catholicism, new forms of social, political,
and economic organization – including labor
servitude – and diseases to which the
indigenous peoples had no resistance.
Mexico lost approximately 92% of its
population within a generation after the
Spanish conquest.
Spain's empire brought new ideas to
Europe, and led to inflation.
Summary
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Recognizable modern nations with
centralized governments began to
form in western Europe during this
period.
Europe's classical heritage was (re-)
"discovered" by intellectuals and
artists, first and most dramatically in
the Italian Renaissance, and later in
northern Europe.
New lands, peoples, and products
were also "discovered" by Europeans,
particularly the Spanish and
Portuguese; the resulting exchanges
of ideas, goods, and living things
(humans, plants, germs) forever
altered lives around the world.
Essay Question – Due Tuesday, 9/20
• Analyze the influence of
humanism on the visual
arts in the Italian
Renaissance. Use at
least THREE specific
works to support your
analysis.
• Write an essay that:
– Has a relevant thesis.
– Addresses all parts of
the question.
– Supports thesis with
specific evidence.
– Is well organized.