Ch. 12 - AP EURO

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Renaissance concepts, people, and terms from the notes.

Renaissance

Derived from the French word for 'rebirth'; revival of classical Roman and Greek texts and culture; bridge between the medieval and modern eras (14th–16th centuries); slow diffusion out of Italy.

Patronage

Financial support of writers and artists by cities, groups, and individuals to produce specific works or styles.

Communes

Sworn associations of freemen in Italian cities led by merchant guilds seeking political and economic independence from local nobles.

Popolo

Disenfranchised common people in Italian cities who resented exclusion from power.

Condottieri

Leaders of mercenary bands hired to provide military services to Italian city-states and powerful individuals.

Signori

Government by one-man rule in Italian cities (e.g., Milan); also refers to those rulers.

Venice, Milan, Florence, the Papal States, and the Kingdom of Naples.

The Five Italian Powers

The Sforza

Powerful ruling family in Milan; became an oligarchic signori ruling family; prominent patrons of the arts (1447–1535).

The Medici

Influential banking family that ruled Florence for centuries; rose in 1434; produced three popes and one queen; played behind-the-scenes politics. Also Patrons of the arts

Pope Alexander VI

Spaniard Pope who reigned 1492–1503; one of the most ruthless popes; aided by Cesare Borgia, his son; reasserted papal authority in papal lands.

Girolamo Savonarola

Dominican priest who led Florence with the Bonfire of the Vanities; set up a theocratic republic; despised by Pope Alexander VI; executed after political turmoil.

Petrarch

Florentine poet and scholar who pursued classical Latin manuscripts; precursor of humanism; believed recovery of classical texts would spark a golden age.

Humanism

Intellectual movement emphasizing critical study of Latin and Greek literature to understand human nature and achievements.

Individualism

Cultural emphasis on personal autonomy, talents, and self-reliance; influenced art, literature, and politics.

Secularism

Separation of religion from political, social, and educational institutions; prioritizes reason and empirical evidence.

On the Dignity of Man

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1486) argues for human worth and potential, highlighting free will and intellect.

The Courtier

Book by Baldassare Castiglione outlining the ideal qualities of a courtier; emphasizes broad education and balanced development of mind and body.

Virtu

Quality of being able to shape the world according to one’s own will.

Machiavelli

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527); wrote The Prince; argues rulers preserve order and security; Florentine official and diplomat.

Christian Humanists

Northern scholars who combined Italian humanist ideas with Christian religious traditions.

Utopia

Thomas More’s 1516 work describing an island society with humanist education, religious tolerance, and communal harmony.

Erasmus

Father of Northern Humanism; emphasized classics and Christian reform; wrote The Education of a Christian Prince and Praise of Folly.

New Monarchs

Pre Absolutist Era Rulers who centralized power and reduced the influence of nobles and the church; examples include Isabella and Ferdinand (Spain), Henry VII (England), Louis XI/XII (France), Charles VI/VIII (France).