AP Euro Renaissance ID Terms

Renaissance

period in European history which marked the rebirth of the classical world, the idea of the potential of man, and the focus of individualism

Medici

powerful banking family who ruled Florence; gained power through the use of mercenaries, philanthropy, and force despite being common people beforehand; some would become popes or marry into royalty

Dowry

property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

Papal States

group of territories in central Italy ruled by the pope

Ambassador

an official representative of a country's government

Niccolo Machiavelli

writer and philosopher from Florence who fostered many radical ideas from his knowledge of ancient Rome and his preoccupation with Italy's political problems; among the first to abandon morality as the basis for the analysis of political activity; wrote The Prince

The Prince

one of the most famous treatises on political power in the Western world about how rulers gather influence, maintain authority, and govern their people effectively; stated that a prince's attitude toward power must be based on an understanding of human nature, which he perceived as basically self-centered; written by Niccolo Machiavelli

Individualism

philosophy favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control

Secularism

philosophy that separates religion and state; greater emphasis on the present rather than the afterlife/salvation as you can improve yourself now, not just in preparation for death

Humanism

philosophy that represents an admiration for the classical age and a newfound confidence for what man can achieve; the most important literary movement associated with the Renaissance

Petrarch

Italian scholar and poet whose humanist works helped start the Renaissance and Humanism; had an extreme love of the classical era and would write letters to the figures during that time as if they were still alive; began a trend of writing in vernacular

Civic Humanism

philosophy fostered in Italian city-states, especially Florence, that one must be active in politics and government matters; the ideal citizen was not only an intellectual,

but also an active participant in the life of the state; a major political development from the Renaissance

Neoplatonism

philosophy that focuses on interpretations and new approaches taken to Plato's works after his death; two primary ideas: the hierarchy of substances and a theory of spiritual love; Marsilio Ficino was a major figure who translated many of Plato's works

Hermeticism

philosophy that was a product of the Florentine intellectual environment; manuscripts stressed astrology, mysticism, magic, and pantheism (the fact that divinity is found in everything); ''God as a whole is in all things.''

Liberal studies/liberal arts

field of study which was heavily innovated during the Renaissance; very broad study that covers a large range of topics, focusing on the general development of intellectual thinking

Francesco Guicciardini

Italian historian during the Renaissance whose works, such as the History of Italy and History of Florence, included radical ideas similar to those of Niccolo Machiavelli; he was a friend and critic of Machiavelli

Johannes Gutenburg

German printer who invented the printing press and created the first printed version of the Bible with it

Masaccio

Italian painter from Florence whose works were prominent during the Early Renaissance; his frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel have long been regarded as the first masterpiece of Early Renaissance art; created a new realistic style of painting with his unique use of the relationship between figures and landscape and perspective

Donatello

Italian sculptor from Florence famous for his sculptures such as David and Penitent Magdalene; notably, his sculptures were known for how realistically he was able to portray the human body; studied and copied the statues of antiquity in Rome

Donatello's David

sculpture that was the first life-size, freestanding nude sculpture since classical antiquity; depicted David holding Goliath's sword and standing on his severed head; made in the 1440s; may have celebrated Florentine heroism in the triumph of Florence over the Milanese in 1428

Filippo Brunelleschi

Italian architect known as a founding father of Renaissance architecture and linear perspective; drew much inspiration from the architectural monuments of Roman antiquity; built the Cathedral of Florence's dome, which still holds the record for the largest masonry dome ever built

High Renaissance

short period during the Renaissance when art massively flourished in Italy, especially in Rome, featuring extremely prominent artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian figure whose skills as a painter, engineer, musician, and scientist coined him as a "Renaissance man"; famous paintings include Mona Lisa and The Last Supper; a founder of the High Renaissance and the impetus behind the High Renaissance's concern for the idealization of nature, moving from a realistic portrayal of the human figure to an idealized form

Last Supper

painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting Christ's final meal with his apostles

Raphael

Italian painter during the High Renaissance known for fresco paintings; his most famous works include The School of Athens and his numerous Madonnas, in which he attempted to achieve an ideal of beauty far surpassing human standards

School of Athens

fresco painting by Raphael located in a room at Pope Julius II's private apartments; depicted famous classical mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists such as Pythagoras, Aristotle, and Plato all gathered together in one room

Michelangelo

Italian sculptor, painter, and poet during the High Renaissance; famous sculptures included David and Pietà; famous paintings include the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a work commissioned by Pope Julius II, someone he often had quarrels with

Michelangelo's David

sculpture that depicted David wary before his battle with Goliath; completed in 1504, it became the largest sculpture in Italy since the time of Rome; proclaims the beauty of the human body and the glory of human beings

Northern Renaissance

extension of the Italian Renaissance that occurred North of the Alps; in contrast to the Italian Renaissance, it was directly linked to the Protestant Reformation and focused on Christian humanism; during this, painters placed great emphasis on the emotional intensity of religious feeling and created great works of devotional art

Jan van Eyck

Flemish painter during the Northern Renaissance known for his oil painting and depiction of light; famous works include the Ghent Altarpiece and Arnolfini Portrait

Albrecht Durer

German artist and printmaker during the Northern Renaissance who often used woodcutting along with Italian Renaissance techniques; famous paintings include Adam and Eve and The Four Horsemen

The Spanish Inquisition

organization of priests in Spain that looked for and punished anyone suspected of secretly practicing religions other than Catholicism, such as Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam; was appointed in order to consolidate power near the end and after the Reconquista was completed; extremely brutal as thousands were murdered/tortured for their alleged beliefs

Council of Constance

ecumenical council that aimed to reform the church and ended the Great Schism; called upon after the Great Papal Schism/Western Schism where three rival popes all claimed to be the pope

Great Schism

the official split between the Roman Catholic and Byzantine churches due to many disagreements and differences, notably over the use of icons

Jan Hus

Czech religious reformer who challenged the Catholic Church; would later be an inspiration for the Protestant Reformation after the Council of Constance convicted him of heresy and burned him at the stake

Nepotism

favoritism that grants advantages or privileges based on the power that someone's friends or family has

Contrapposto

style of Greek sculpture where a human figure is depicted to be shifting all of their weight onto one leg, creating a relaxed and more natural pose; used in sculptures such as Michelangelo's David and Hermes Carrying the Infant Dionysus

Virtu

excellence in the pursuit of all good things; diversifying your talents; God gave individuals these abilities and talents so we can learn many skills