Birth of the Renaissance

Renaissance

Period of the revival of art and learning

Humanism

Intellectual movement focusing on human potential

Secular

Describing a society as worldly rather than spiritual

Patron

Financial supporter of art or artists

Middle Ages

Period in European history before the Renaissance

Individualism

Belief in the importance of the individual

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman Empire, preserving Greek knowledge

Ottomans

Turkish empire that captured Constantinople in 1453

Middle Class

Social class between nobility and peasants

Córdoba

Capital of Islamic Spain, center of classical learning

Greek Texts

Literary works from classical Greece

Islamic Empire

Empire preserving Greek texts and knowledge

Plague

Deadly epidemic disease

War

Conflict between nations or groups

Artistic Revival

Renewed interest and development in the arts

Learning Revival

Renewed interest and progress in education

Classical Greece and Rome

Cultures that Renaissance hoped to revive

Jewish scholars in Spain

Translated Greek texts and commentaries into Hebrew

Papermaking technology

Spread through the Islamic world, aiding book creation

Western Europe

Learned papermaking from Islamic Spain

Paper mills

Established in France, Italy, and Germany by 1400

Hundred Years' War

Ended in 1453, confirming French king's authority

Reconquista

Completed in 1493, ending Islamic rule in Spain

City-states in Italy

Fostered intellectual revolution due to idea exchange

Merchants in Italy

Developed financial services and banks

Wealth based on land ownership

Shifted to commerce due to foreign trade growth

Italian city-states

Led by wealthy merchant class, not nobles

Bubonic plague

Killed up to 60% of the population in the 1300s

Florence under Medici rule

Controlled by powerful banking family, the Medici

Renaissance society

Secular, concerned with worldly matters

Ideal individual

Expected to excel in art and various studies

Baldassare Castiglione

Wrote The Courtier, describing the ideal individual

Population Decline

Europe's reduced population due to famine and disease by 1450

Middle Class Emergence

New social class of merchants, bankers, and tradespeople

Byzantine Scholars

Eminent scholars who fled to Italy, influencing the Renaissance

Papermaking Innovation

Technology from Islamic Spain that facilitated book production

Peace Restoration

Return of peace across Europe in the 15th century

City-States Rise

Urban centers in Italy fostering intellectual revolution

Medici Family

Powerful banking family ruling Florence during the Renaissance

Patrons of the Arts

Supporters of artists and artistic endeavors during the Renaissance

Ideal Individual

Concept of a well-rounded, accomplished person in various fields

The Courtier

Book by Baldassare Castiglione on the ideal Renaissance individual

Isabella d'Este

Influential Renaissance woman from the ruling family of Ferrara