AP Euro Unit 1 People

Petrarch

Laid the groundwork for Renaissance thought with his emphasis on humanism and individualism, admiring figures like Cicero.

Lorenzo Valla

Used philology to challenge the authority of the Church by proving a document to be a forgery.

Baldassare Castiglione

Articulated the ideal of the well-rounded individual in The Courtier.

Leonardo Bruni

Advocated for the republicanism of ancient Rome and civic humanism.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Argued in The Prince that a ruler should prioritize maintaining power, even if it requires unethical decisions.

Michelangelo

Embodied humanist philosophy through his sculpture of David, showcasing naturalism and idealism.

Raphael

Depicted classical themes and used geometric perspective in The School of Athens.

Filippo Brunelleschi

Rejected Gothic conventions by using Roman columns and arches for the Dome on the Florence Cathedral, and the Rebuilding of the Church of San Lorenzo.

Desiderius Erasmus

A key figure in Christian humanism who advocated for social reform through education in the classics and the Bible.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

A Northern Renaissance artist known for his naturalistic depictions of everyday life, such as in The Peasant Wedding.

Rembrandt

Famous for his use of light and shade and his emotionally evocative paintings, like The Return of the Prodigal Son.

Johannes Gutenberg

Developed the printing press using movable type, revolutionizing the spread of ideas.

Henry VIII

Declared himself head of the Church of England to gain a divorce, consolidating power and initiating religious reform from the top down.

Elizabeth I

Returned England to Anglicanism and established religious uniformity through the Act of Uniformity.

Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

Unified Spain, consolidated monarchical power, and initiated the Reconquista.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Implemented mercantilist policies in France to increase the country's wealth and colonial holdings.

Christopher Columbus

Commissioned by Spain to find a sea route to Asia, leading to European contact with the Americas.

Bartolome de las Casas

Fought for the rights and dignity of indigenous peoples in the Americas.

Hernán Cortés

Defeated the Aztec empire, aided by the introduction of smallpox and measles.