Chaps 11 & 12 Euro

Great Famine (1315-1322)

A period of extreme food shortage in Europe, leading to widespread starvation and death.

Black Death/bubonic plague

A deadly disease that spread across Europe in the 14th century, causing high mortality rates.

flagellant

Individuals who practiced public penance and self-punishment during times of plague and other disasters.

Hundred Years' War (ca 1337-1453)

A prolonged conflict between England and France, marked by territorial disputes and power struggles.

Aquitaine

A region in southwest France that was a subject of contention during the Hundred Years' War.

Joan of Arc

A French heroine and military leader who played a key role in the Hundred Years' War before being captured and executed.

nationalism

A strong sense of loyalty and devotion to one's nation, often leading to movements for independence or self-governance.

English "Commons" (Parliament)

The lower house of the English Parliament, representing common citizens and burgesses.

Avignon Papacy/Babylonian Captivity (1309-1376)

A period when the papal court was located in Avignon, France, rather than Rome, leading to a loss of prestige for the papacy.

Great Schism (1054)

The split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, leading to two separate branches of Christianity.

2nd Great Schism (1378-1417)

A period of division within the Roman Catholic Church when multiple claimants vied for the papal throne.

conciliarism

The belief that a general council of the Church has greater authority than the Pope.

Marsiglio of Padua / Defensor Pacis

An Italian scholar who wrote 'Defensor Pacis,' advocating for a separation of church and state.

John Wyclif

An English theologian and early critic of the Catholic Church, advocating for reform and translation of the Bible.

Lollards

Followers of John Wyclif in England who criticized the wealth and power of the Church.

Jan Hus

A Czech priest and reformer who was condemned and burned at the stake for heresy.

Council of Constance (1414-1418)

A council that aimed to resolve the Great Schism and address issues of heresy within the Church.

confraternity

An association of individuals united for a common religious or charitable purpose.

Thomas à Kempis / The Imitation of Christ

A German-Dutch canon regular and author of the devotional book 'The Imitation of Christ.'

Jacquerie (1358)

A peasant revolt in northern France marked by violence and atrocities against the nobility.

English Peasants' Revolt (1381)

A major uprising of English peasants against oppressive economic and social conditions.

craft guild

An association of artisans or merchants in medieval Europe, regulating the practice of their craft.

fur-collar crime

A term used to describe crimes committed by nobles or wealthy individuals, often with impunity due to their social status.

vernacular/vernacular literature

The language spoken by the common people, as opposed to Latin, and the literature written in that language.

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)/Divine Comedy

An Italian poet and author of the epic poem 'Divine Comedy,' describing his journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)/Canterbury Tales

An English poet known for 'Canterbury Tales,' a collection of stories told by pilgrims on their way to Thomas Becket's shrine.

patronage

Financial support of artists by wealthy individuals or the Church. Often the art was intended to glorify the individuals, their families, their cities (city-states), or the Church.

commune

A town, city, or district governed by its own local council in Renaissance Italy

oligarchy

A small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution

popolo

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

republic

A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives

condottieri

Mercenary generals (military leaders) of private armies hired by cities for military purposes.

signori

Government by one-man rule in Italian cities such as Milan

(princely) court

Residence and entourage of a ruler

Medicis

A powerful banking family who ruled Florence during the Italian Renaissance. Patrons of the arts and humanists.

Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498)

Dominican friar who preached against the corruption of the Medici family

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374)

Known as the father of Humanism. He lived as a cleric and committed his life to humanistic pursuits and careful study of the classics. He resisted writing in the Italian vernacular except for his sonnets.

Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499)

Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance

Leonardo Bruni (1374-1444)

Italian humanist, historian, and statesman

humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements.

civic humanism

Humanism with the added belief that individuals owe a service to their community and government

individualism

Emphasis on the unique and creative personality

secularism

Separation of religion and state

mannerism

Artistic movement against the Renaissance ideals of symetry, balance, and simplicity; went against the perfection the High Renaissance created in art. Used elongated proportions, twisted poese and compression of space.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Italian polymath of the Renaissance known for his art and inventions

Raphael

Italian Renaissance painter; he painted frescos, his most famous was The School of Athens.

Michelangelo

An Italian sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, and architect. Famous works include the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture of the biblical character David.

Pico della Mirandola/On the Dignity of Man

Italian scholar and Renaissance Platonist philosopher known for his Oration on the Dignity of Man (which, among 900 other theses, advocates the Kabalah!)

Baldassare Castiglione/The Courtier

An Italian courtier, diplomat, and writer best known for his dialogue Il libro del cortegiano (his book on courtly etiquette and conduct).

Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) / Lives of the Artists

Foremost artist of 16th century Italy, renowned not only as a painter, draftsman, and architect, but also as the author of Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, a series of artist biographies that formed the basis for modern art history. The term rinascita ("rebirth") first appeared in Lives of the Artists ( c. 1550) (the corresponding French word renaissance was adopted into English as the term for this period during the 1830s).

Niccoló Machiavelli (1469-1527)/The Prince

Florentine Renaissance-born philosopher, public official, and Renaissance writer; wrote The Prince, a work on ethics and government, describing how rulers maintain power by methods that ignore right or wrong; accepted the philosophy that "the end justifies the means."

virtú & fortuna

A man's ability to control his destiny through the exercise of individual initiative is contested by forces beyond his control. These are concepts theorized by Niccolò Machiavelli.

"Renaissance man"

An individual with a wide range of talents or knowledge

printing press/movable type

Invention allowing for mass production of books

Gutenberg's Bible (1456)

First major book printed with movable type in the West

Northern Renaissance/Christian (northern) humanism

Humanism in Northern Europe with a focus on Christian teachings (a movement that developed in northern Europe during the Renaissance combining classical learning with the goal of reforming the Catholic Church)

Thomas More (1478-1535)/Utopia

English humanist and chancellor of England who was beheaded for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as head of the Church. Wrote a political, fictional (and satirical?) work based on the idea that people can envision and potentially create a society based on idealistic principles that transcend their current circumstances.

Desiderius Erasmus (1466?-1536)

Dutch humanist scholar considered one of the greatest thinkers of the Renaissance. A prolific writer who made full use of the printing press, he produced editions of classical authors, educational treatises, translations, dialogues, and letters. He was a great champion of education, believing this was the best way to reform the medieval church.

Christine de Pizan

Highly educated Renaissance-era woman who was among the first to earn a living as a writer; wrote books, including short stories, novels, and manuals on military techniques

Charles VII (r. 1422-1461)

King of France from the House of Valois

Louis XI (r. 1461-1483), "Spider King"

King of France known for his political cunning

Concordat of Bologna (1516)

Agreement between Francis I of France and Pope Leo X. Permitted the Pope to collect all the income that the Catholic Church made in France while it also allowed the French king to select French bishops and abbots. This gave the king significant influence over church affairs within France.

Henry VII (r. 1485-1509)

King of England and founder of the Tudor dynasty

Tudors

English royal dynasty

Wars of the Roses

Civil wars for the English throne between the houses of Lancaster and York

Court of Star Chamber

Established by Henry VII, it was an independent court of justice where high-profile defendants (nobles) could be tried in a setting where the could not use their influence to escape justice. It became known as the Star Chamber because of the stars painted on the ceiling. At first, used to try noblemen too powerful to be brought before common courts, but eventually became used to suppress anti-monarchical sentiment.

Ferdinand and Isabella (r. 1474-1516)

During the late 15th century, they became King and Queen of a united Spain after centuries of Islamic domination. Together, they made Spain a strong Christian nation and also provided funding to overseas exploration, notably Christopher Columbus.

Reconquista

A series of military campaigns fought between Christian and Muslim kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula that resulted in the Spanish wresting control away from the Muslims.

conversos/New Christians

Jews and Muslims in Spain and Portugal who converted to Christianity

Spanish Inquisition

Institutional tribunal established in Spain for the suppression of heresy