Medici Family, Renaissance, and Humanism

Flashcards from Lecture Notes

Cosimo de Medici

Banker who was banished from Florence, but later returned in 1434 due to the severe economic impact of his absence.

Lorenzo de Medici

Grandson of Cosimo, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, considered the most brilliant of the Medicis and a great patron of the arts, commissioning artists like Michelangelo and Botticelli.

Pazzi Family

A rival banking family to the Medici's who attempted to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici and his brother in 1478; the surviving members were banished, and their properties confiscated.

Girolamo Savonarola

A preacher who attacked the tyranny of the Medici family, encouraged 'bonfires of vanities,' and briefly took control of Florence under strict religious rule.

Renaissance

A period of rebirth in culture, art, science, and ideas, beginning in the 1300s and ending in the 1700s, spurred by the Black Plague and Crusades.

Black Death

A pandemic that caused a massive decline in Europe's population, disrupting feudal patterns and leading to labor shortages.

Usury

The practice of charging interest on loans, which was initially against Church rule but helped secularize Northern Italy as banking practices evolved.

Humanism

The study of humans and humanity, celebrating the individual, supported by wealthy patrons, and stimulating the study of Greek and Roman literature and culture.

Secularism

A focus on non-religious or worldly things

Renaissance Man

Individuals who embodied Renaissance values and talents in individuality, independence, curiosity, sciences, art, and civic responsibility.