italian renaissance society and the revival of the money economy

THE RENAISSANCE

• By Jack Garrity

• Book Pages 375-381

• The merchant cities of Florence, Venice, and Milan revived interest in Classical Mediterranean civilization and changed the social order of the feudal age and brought back the money economy.

FROM C1350-1550, MANY PEOPLE REVIVED CLASSICAL GREEK AND ROMAN CULTURE IN THE ITALIAN STATES. HISTORIANS CALL THIS TIME THE

RENAISSANCE (REBIRTH).

THE RENAISSANCE BEGAN IN THE ITALIAN STATES AND SPREAD TO THE REST OF EUROPE.

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE CENTERED ON THE URBAN SOCIETIES OF THE CITIES.

ITALIAN CITY-STATES BECAME THE CENTERS OF POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL LIFE.

ITALIAN CITY STATES HAD BECOME RICH THROUGH TRADE AND BUSINESS, WEALTH LED TO A MORE WORLDLY VIEWPOINT.

TRADE AND WEALTH CREATED NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF MATERIAL THINGS.

RECOVERING FROM PLAGUES AND RCC DECLINE, LEADERS BECAME INTERESTED IN THE ANCIENT ROMANS AND GREEKS.

THE RUINS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE SURROUNDED THEM.

• Why would Rich Merchants look for other societies to copy?

WHY WOULD RICH MERCHANTS LOOK FOR OTHER SOCIETIES TO COPY? MERCHANTS DID NOT HAVE A HIGH POSITION IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY.

THE REVIVAL OF ROMAN CULTURE EFFECTED POLITICS AND SOCIETY. WE WILL STUDY THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN ART, AND ARCHITECTURE NEXT TIME.

THE TIME HAD AN EVEN BIGGER EFFECT ON RELIGION, WHICH WE WILL STUDY IN DETAIL LATER.

PEOPLE BEGAN TO FOCUS ON THIS LIFE, RATHER THAN THE AFTER LIFE, EMPHASIZING INDIVIDUAL ABILITY IN CREATING A BETTER LIFE ON EARTH, NOT THE AFTER LIFE AND CHURCH SALVATION.

TALENTED INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETIES COULD IMPROVE THIS WORLD, EVEN MAKE A NEW SOCIAL IDEAL.

EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS COULD IMPROVE HUMAN CULTURE ….

LEONARDO DA VINCI A PAINTER, SCULPTOR, ARCHITECT, INVENTOR, AND MATHEMATICIAN.

THE ITALIAN STATES• During the Middle Ages, cities in Northern and Central Italy remained independent by taking

advantage of the power struggles between the Pope (Avignon) and Holy Roman Emperor (German).

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Four city states Venice, Florence, Milan, Rome played critical roles in the Italian politics and the renaissance.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice Queen of the Adriatic

• In 421, the refugee islands of Venice founded its first Church San Giacomo.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice Queen of the Adriatic

• In 421, the refugee islands of Venice founded its first Church San Giacomo.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice Queen of the Adriatic

• As the Western Empire crumbled, more and more Romans fled to the islands.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice Queen of the Adriatic

• During the Early Middle Ages, Venice remained part of or allied with the Byzantine Empire.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Charlemagne ordered his son Pepin of Italy to conquer Venice, which failed miserably.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice Queen of the Adriatic

• By the 8th Century, Venetians elected a Doge and developed a republican government.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• During the 9th- 12th Centuries, Venice built up a trade empire, trading with the Byzantines, Islamic Empires and Europe.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• During the 9th- 12th Centuries, Venice built up a trade empire, trading with the Byzantines, Islamic Empires and Europe.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• In 1205, Venice became an empire when it had the 4th Crusade sack Constantinople.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• In 1205, Venice became an empire when it had the 4th Crusade sack Constantinople.

Arms of the Latin Empire of Constantinople

1204–1261

THE ITALIAN STATES• This plunder included the gilt bronze horses from the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which were

originally placed above the entrance to the cathedral of Venice, St Mark's Basilica,During German).

THE ITALIAN STATES

• The Great Counsel (Noble Families) ruled the city. The Great Council appointed all public officials and elected a Senate of 200 to 300 individuals.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• The Senate elected a Council of Ten (Ducal Counsel or Signoria) that administrated the city.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• One member of the great council was elected Doge, or duke, the chief executive, who usually held the title for life.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice under the Doges became a center of art, science, and culture.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Venice's long decline started in the 15th century, as the Ottoman Empire strengthened.

• The Ottomans took Venetian lands, and more importantly cut the trade routes.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan like Venice had strong links to Imperial Rome.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan like Venice had strong links to Imperial Rome.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan like Venice had strong links to Imperial Rome.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan• In 286, the emperor Diocletian named Milan capital of the Western Empire.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan was sacked multiple times when the Western Empire fell.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Throughout the Middle Ages, Milan prospered as a center of trade due to its command of the rich plain of the Po and routes from Italy across the Alps.

THE ITALIAN STATES

The Visconti family came to power in the 14th Century, by then an Imperial Duchy.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan In 1447, Francesco Sforza, the leader of a famous band of mercenaries, conquered the city and married Bianca Maria Visconti  becaming Milan’s new duke.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• His second son and eventual heir Duke Ludovic Sforza il Moro and Beatrice d'Este patronized Leonardo da Vinci and other great artists.

 July 1452 – 27 May 1508 June 1475 – Jan 1497

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan The Visconti and Sforza Dukes created a strong wealthy militaristic state.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Milan declined during the Italian Wars. Ludvic alliance, with the King of France to counter Spain’s alliance with Naples, backfired when the King of France turned on Milan.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence “the birthplace of the Renaissance” • In 80 BC, Sulla founded Florence as a town for his roman legionaries to retire.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence “the birthplace of the Renaissance” • In 80 BC, Sulla founded Florence as a town for his roman legionaries to retire.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence “the birthplace of the Renaissance” • Suffered greatly after the fall of the Western Empire.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence • During the 13th Century, the merchant class replaced the noble class and set up a Republic.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence • The Ordinances of Justice identified Nobles as “ bellicose and ungovernable natur”. Theey were barred from holding office

and, if they committed certain crimes their punishment could be doubled.  This allowed the merchant guilds to rule.

HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/GUILDS_OF_FLORENCE

7 major guilds, 5 middle guilds, and 9 minor guilds ran the city and competed with each other to make it beautiful.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence • Hundreds of manufactures were organized into dozens of guilds that ruled the city.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• The city became a center for manufacturing (cloth) and banking.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• The golden florin , the first European coin made since the Roman Empire, became the standard throughout Europe for

commerce and banking.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• Banks grew dramatically during the Crusades, as you could carry a Bank receipt from a bank near your hometown, and

cash it in in Florence or Constantinople, or even Jerusalem.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• Florentine Bankers opened international Banks throughout Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Middle East.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• By the 15th Century, the Medici Bank was the most successful, they were even the bankers for the Vatican.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• In 1434, Cosimo de’Medici and his grandson Lorenzo, ran Florence with soft power, and produced the renaissance.

• Cosimo paid top dollar and collected every copy of Greek and Roman writings anyone could find. He gave out big rewards to anyone who could find them.

• Cosimo paid top dollar and collected every copy of Greek and Roman writings anyone could find. He gave out big rewards to anyone who could find them.

• He sponsored teachers of Greek and Latin, built a library around the books, and a school around the library.

• He sponsored artists of all kinds. He supported Donatello, Bertoldo, and Botticelli.

• His son Lorenzo sponsored the early career of Leonardo, and Michelangelo grew up in the Medici garden.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• During the late 1400s, Florence experienced an economic decline, first cloth then banking.

THE ITALIAN STATES• Florence• Also, the Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarol led an anti renaissance anti Medici movement.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• Forcing the Medici to flee to Rome.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• Sabanrolla led the city in bonfires of the vanities and preached against all fun.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• Eventually, he even accused Pope Alexander VI (Borgia) of being a heretic.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• The people rose up against Sabanarolla and the Pope had him burned as a heretic.

THE ITALIAN STATES

• Florence• The Medici returned as Dukes, yet Florence never regained its former glories.

THE ITALIAN WARSThe growth of powerful monarchical states in Europe eventually led to decline and problems for the Italian states.

THE ITALIAN WARS

In 1494, Charles VIII of France led an army into Italy and conquered the Southern Kingdom of Sicily, he later sacked Milan.

THE ITALIAN WARS

Some Italians turned to Spain for help, resulting in Italy becoming a battle ground for France and Spain for 20 years.

THE ITALIAN WARS

In 1527, the armies of the Spanish king Charles I (HRE Charles V) sacked Rome, ending the wars, yet leaving Italy devastated and dominated by Spain.

FLORENCE 1617.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• His book “The Prince” captures the new ideals of politics and remains on of the the most influential works on political power today.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• Machiavelli’s main idea is how to get and keep political power,

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• A prince’s attitude toward power must be based on an understanding of human self centered nature.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• “men are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit.”

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• Political activity, therefore, should not be restricted by moral principles.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are.

MACHIAVELLI AND THE NEW STATECRAFT

• Machiavelli abandoned morality as the basis for evaluating political doings.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The age brought changes to the medieval classes of Nobles, Merchants, and Peasants.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The Nobles continued to dominate society (2 to 3 percent). They held important political posts and served as advisers to the Queens and Kings.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY However, they needed money rather than just food, so they began to accept rents fromPeasants instead of food.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The main purpose of Nobles remained warriors, so they did military and physical exercises.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The advent of cannon and blunder busts on the battle field made knights and castles obsolete.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY However, they had to be educated in the classics and enrich life with arts.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Baldassare Castiglione’s “The Book of the Courtier” became the standard for this idealNobleperson.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY “Outward beauty is a true sign of inner goodness. This loveliness, indeed, is impressed upon the body in varying degrees as a token by which the soul can be recognized for what it is, just as with trees the beauty of the blossom testifies to the goodness of the fruit.” 

“The Book of the Courtier”

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Nobles should have a classical education, know how to dance, appreciate art, and always be graceful.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Peasants still constituted 85 to 90 percent of the total European population, except in the urban areas in northern Italy and Flanders.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY While serfdom still existed, it declined as nobles took rent or sold land for cash.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY By 1500,, more and more peasants became legally free, especially in western Europe .

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY In Eastern Europe, serfdom remained the norm, Russia did not free the serfs until the late 1800’s.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Merchants became richer than anyone in society.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY At the top of urban society were the patricians. Their wealth from trade, industry, and banking enabled them to dominate their communities economically, socially, and politically.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The Medici family in Florence patronized artists like Donatello, Verrocchio, Leonardo, and Michelangelo.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The most successful families began to buy Noble titles from Kings and Queens.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Below Patriarchs, shop keepers and artisans, called burghers, made goods and services for the towns.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY The Black Death had somewhat improved workers wages.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Workers made up 30-40 percent of the towns people, and had the most difficult lives.

RENAISSANCE SOCIETY Completion between city states and civic pride inspired the towns to make their towns better.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• The family bond was a source of great security in the dangerous urban world

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• To maintain the family, Noble and Merchant parents carefully arranged marriages, often to strengthen business or family ties.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• Sometimes Noble marriages were arranged when children were two or three years old.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• The most important aspect of the marriage contract was the size of the dowry, a sum of money given by the wife’s family to the husband upon marriage

• Peasants had a chance to marry more for love.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

The father-husband was the center of the Italian family

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• The mother’s chief role was to supervise the household.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• A father’s authority over his children was absolute until he died or formally freed his children.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

• The In Renaissance Italy, children did not become adults on reaching a certain age. Instead, adulthood came to children when their fathers went before a judge and formally freed them

END• Next time the art, architecture, and inventions of the Renaissance.