HIST 1010 Spring 2025 Lecture 031: Renaissance Humanism & the Italian Renaissance

Flashcards covering key concepts and vocabularies from the Renaissance Humanism and Italian Renaissance lecture.

Erasmus

A humanist, theologian, and philologist who argued for reform of the Church and emphasized secular learning.

Philology

The study of the history of language including changes in language over time.

Textual Criticism

Academic techniques used to restore texts to their original form.

Lorenzo Valla

A controversial scholar who criticized historical narratives and worked on a new critical edition of the Bible.

The Black Death

A devastating plague (1347-1352) that killed about 25-30 million people in Europe.

Italian Renaissance

A period marked by a revival of classical learning and art, significantly influenced by political and economic changes.

Republic of Venice

A maritime republic that thrived on trade and had an elected leader called the doge.

Medieval Scholasticism

A method of learning that sought to reconcile faith with reason and preserved Church dogma.

Humanism

An intellectual movement that emphasized the study of classical texts and the potential of human perfection.

Petrarch

Considered the father of Renaissance Humanism, he searched for classical Latin and Greek works and blended religious faith with secular learning.

Boccaccio

An Italian writer known for 'The Decameron,' which provides a view of daily life in the 14th century.

Renaissance

A period of cultural revival in Europe, characterized by an emphasis on classical learning and humanist principles.

Duchy of Milan

A region with powerful trade guilds and known for its dictatorial rule under the Sforza family.

Power of the landed nobility

The diminishing authority of nobility in favor of wealthy merchant classes during the Renaissance.

Declamatio

A scholarly approach used by Lorenzo Valla to discredit historical documents.