Renaissance Italy

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Why It’s Important

• humanism- belief in the importance of people

• Renaissance- French word meaning “rebirth”

• people became interested in the world around them

The Italian City-States

• Italy- center of Renaissance; made of independent city-states; wealthy from trade

• powerful families took control and ruled– gained loyalty by having parades & entertainment– built churches & palaces– schools made to educate rich boys

City Life• merchants & shopkeepers live above their

shops

• rich large houses w/courtyards

• most people were poor

• piazza- central square (buy goods, see parades, talk to friends, etc)

City Life• marriages were arranged (did not marry for

love)

• men wore tunics & tights

• women wore flowing dresses

• rich wore bright colors

Florence

• Renaissance began here

• Lorenzo de Medici- ruler (in 1478)

– nicknamed “the Magnificent”

– made Florence center for art and learning

http://www.abm-enterprises.net/medici.jpg

Florence• Savonarola- monk who overthrew the Medicis

(1494)

– got rid of parties, gambling, horse-racing, etc.

– supporters burned paintings, books, fancy clothes, & musical instruments

– hanged 4 years later for heresy (for falsely claiming to see religious visions)

• Medicis returned to powerhttp://www.tracts.ukgo.com/images/savonarola2.jpg

The Papal States• Popes lost power

– acted more like political rulers than church leaders

• Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI in 1492 by bribing cardinals

– made an army; lost land

– died in 1503

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Venice

• Renaissance ‘arrived’ late in the 1500s b/c Venetians looked to Constantinople for art and literature

• Venice had canals

– business district called The Rialto

Venice

• ruled by wealthy merchants

– controlled the Council of Ten, who decided guilt or innocence

– choose official ruler called the ‘doge’ (had little power, controlled by Council of Ten)