Chapter 12

Renaissance

Means 'rebirth,' referring to the period between 1350 and 1550 marked by the revival of classical knowledge, art, and culture in Europe.

Characteristics of Renaissance

Focused on individuality, secularism, and the abilities and dignity of individuals.

Economic Recovery

Recovery of trade and manufacturing after the Black Death, leading to prosperity in Italian city-states.

Hanseatic League

A northern European trade alliance that competed with Italian trade during the Renaissance.

Medici Family

A powerful banking family in Florence that funded many Renaissance projects.

Renaissance Social Classes

Comprised of the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobles), and Third Estate (commoners, including merchants and tradesmen).

Baldassare Castiglione

Author of The Book of the Courtier, outlining the ideal traits of a nobleman.

Marriage in Renaissance

Often arranged contracts to secure social or economic advantage; included dowries as part of agreements.

Italian States

Major powers included Milan, Venice, Florence, Papal States, and Naples, with smaller independent city-states.

Italian Wars

Conflicts sparked by foreign invasions of Italy, including French and Spanish forces.

Niccolò Machiavelli

Author of The Prince, advocating pragmatic and sometimes unethical rulership for stability.

Humanism

Intellectual movement focusing on classical Greek and Roman literature and values.

Civic Humanism

A belief in engaging with society to achieve intellectual and moral growth.

Neoplatonism

Integration of Plato's philosophy with Christian teachings, emphasizing a hierarchy of beings.

Hermeticism

Renaissance study of astrology, alchemy, magic, and theology, supporting pantheism.

Johannes Gutenberg

Inventor of the movable-type printing press; his Gutenberg Bible was the first mass-produced book in Europe.

Renaissance Art

Focused on realism, perspective, and human individuality, with notable contributions from artists like Masaccio and Donatello.

High Renaissance Artists

Included Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, who expanded the artistic achievements of the period.

Northern Renaissance Art

Focused on religious themes and detail, emphasizing emotional intensity and devotional works.

Music of the Renaissance

Transitioned to more secular themes; madrigals became popular.

Renaissance States

Centralized powers in Western Europe, such as England, France, and Spain.

New Monarchies

Refers to centralized governments in Western Europe, such as the Tudors in England and Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain.

Habsburg Strategy

Gained power through strategic marriages rather than war.

Eastern Europe Disunity

Fragmented due to ethnic diversity, religious divisions, and linguistic barriers.

Fall of Constantinople

The Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, reshaping European geopolitics.

Great Schism

Resolved in 1417, ending the division of the Catholic Church into multiple competing popes.

John Wyclif

Critic of clerical corruption and founder of Lollardy, advocating for Bible translation into vernacular languages.

John Hus

Bohemian reformer whose execution led to the Hussite wars.

Papal Patronage

Renaissance popes supported art to enhance church influence and grandeur.