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Jacob Fugger
was a prominent German banker and merchant, known as "Jacob the Rich." He played a crucial role in the early development of capitalism in Europe.
Key Concepts:
- Wealth and Influence: Fugger amassed immense wealth through trade, mining, and banking, becoming one of the richest men of his time.
- Financial Innovation: He pioneered modern banking practices, including long-term loans and the use of bills of exchange.
- Patronage: Fugger was a significant patron of the arts and architecture, contributing to the cultural landscape of the Renaissance.
- Political Connections: He leveraged his wealth to gain political influence, notably financing the election of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor.
Roman Catholic Church
- Overview: The largest Christian denomination, led by the Pope. It was a major political and cultural force in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
- Key Concepts: Sacraments, the role of the clergy, education, and art patronage.
3. Ottoman Empire
- Overview: A vast empire that controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa from the 14th century until the early 20th century.
- Key Concepts: Military conquests, administrative structure, cultural achievements, and religious tolerance.
Civil, Canon and Customary Law
- Overview: Different legal systems governing society: civil law (secular), canon law (church), and customary law (local traditions).
- Key Concepts: Jurisdiction differences and their influence on society and governance.
Peasants
- Overview: The lower class in feudal society, primarily agricultural workers with limited rights.
- Key Concepts: Role in the economy, conditions of serfdom, and social structure.
Feudalism
- Overview: A social and economic system in medieval Europe based on land ownership and obligations between lords and vassals.
- Key Concepts: Hierarchical structure, land tenure, and the manorial system.
Black Death
- Overview: A devastating plague that struck Europe in the 14th century, leading to the deaths of millions.
- Key Concepts: Social and economic impacts, labor shortages, and shifts in power dynamics.
Subsistence Economy
- Overview: An economic system where communities produce just enough to meet their needs without surplus.
- Key Concepts: Limited trade, self-sufficiency, and vulnerability to crop failures.
9. Carnival
- Overview: A festive season leading up to Lent, featuring celebrations, parades, and social revelry.
- Key Concepts: Cultural significance, social commentary, and communal identity.
10. Nuclear Family
- Overview: A family unit consisting of two parents and their children, distinct from extended families.
- Key Concepts: Changes in social structures and implications for inheritance and lineage.
11. Guilds
- Overview: Associations of artisans or merchants that controlled trade practices and maintained standards.
- Key Concepts: Economic regulation, training of apprentices, and social support networks.
12. Cottage Industry
- Overview: A production system where goods are made at home, typically before industrialization.
- Key Concepts: Family labor, economic independence, and the shift to factory-based production.
13. City-State
- Overview: An independent, self-governing city and its surrounding territory, common in ancient and Renaissance Italy.
- Key Concepts: Political autonomy, economic centers, and cultural hubs.
14. Town Air Makes Free Air
- Overview: A legal principle stating that a serf could gain freedom by residing in a town for a year and a day.
- Key Concepts: Urbanization, the decline of feudal obligations, and social mobility.
15. Parliament
- Overview: A legislative body in England that evolved over time to represent various societal interests.
- Key Concepts: Development of representative government, influence on law-making, and power struggles with the monarchy.
16. Holy Roman Empire
- Overview: A multi-ethnic complex of territories in Central Europe that existed from the early Middle Ages until 1806.
- Key Concepts: Political structure, relationship with the Church, and its role in European politics.
17. Gunpowder
- Overview: An explosive material invented in China, which revolutionized warfare in Europe and beyond.
- Key Concepts: Military technology, impact on fortifications, and the rise of gunpowder empires.
18. Mercenaries
- Overview: Soldiers hired to serve in foreign armies, especially prominent during the Renaissance.
- Key Concepts: Role in warfare, loyalty to contracts over nations, and influence on military conflicts.
19. Johann Gutenberg
- Overview: A German inventor known for creating the movable-type printing press, which transformed communication.
- Key Concepts: Impact on literacy, the spread of ideas, and the Reformation.
20. Columbus
- Overview: An Italian explorer whose voyages in the late 15th century opened the Americas to European exploration.
- Key Concepts: The Columbian Exchange, encounters with indigenous peoples, and consequences of colonization.
21. Montezuma
- Overview: The ninth ruler of the Aztec Empire, noted for his interactions with Spanish conquistadors.
- Key Concepts: Leadership during the Spanish conquest, cultural significance, and the fall of the Aztec Empire.
22. Conquistadors
- Overview: Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered large parts of the Americas in the 16th century.
- Key Concepts: Military tactics, impact on indigenous populations, and establishment of Spanish colonies.
23. New Monarchies
- Overview: The consolidation of power by monarchs in the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe.
- Key Concepts: Centralization of authority, decline of feudalism, and the rise of state power.
24. Eastern Orthodox Church
- Overview: The Christian church that split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054, with a distinct theology and practices.
- Key Concepts: Differences in liturgy, leadership (patriarchs), and cultural influence in Eastern Europe.
25. Bartolomeu de Las Casas
- Overview: A Spanish Dominican friar who advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas.
- Key Concepts: Criticism of colonial practices, writings on human rights, and influence on later reform movements.
26. Syphilis
- Overview: A sexually transmitted disease that spread rapidly in Europe after the Columbian Exchange.
- Key Concepts: Social stigma, medical responses, and impact on population health.
27. Pope Julius II
- Overview: A Renaissance pope known for his ambitious art projects and military campaigns.
- Key Concepts: Patronage of the arts, commissioning the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and political involvement.
28. Sistine Chapel
- Overview: A chapel in Vatican City famous for its Renaissance art, particularly Michelangelo's ceiling.
- Key Concepts: Religious significance, artistic achievements, and the role in papal ceremonies.
29. Renaissance
- Overview: A cultural and intellectual revival in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century, emphasizing humanism and classical learning.
- Key Concepts: Artistic innovations, scientific advancements, and the rediscovery of classical texts.
30. Republic
- Overview: A form of government in which power resides with elected officials and representatives.
- Key Concepts: Historical examples (e.g., Venice, Florence), civic participation, and contrasts with monarchy.
31. Condottieri
- Overview: Italian mercenary leaders hired by city-states during the Renaissance.
- Key Concepts: Military strategies, political influence, and the mercenary system.
32. Sigoria
- Overview: A term referring to the rule of a signore or lord over a city-state, especially in Italy.
- Key Concepts: Centralized power, governance structures, and impact on urban life.
33. Ciompi
- Overview: A group of wool carders in Florence who revolted in 1378, demanding better rights and representation.
- Key Concepts: Class struggle, social change, and temporary shifts in power dynamics.
34. Cosimo de Medici
- Overview: A wealthy Florentine banker and statesman who became the de facto ruler of Florence in the 15th century.
- Key Concepts: Patronage of the arts, influence on Renaissance culture, and establishment of the Medici dynasty.
35. Lorenzo the Magnificent
- Overview: Grandson of Cosimo de Medici, known for his patronage of the arts and political acumen during the Renaissance.
- Key Concepts: Cultural contributions, diplomacy, and the flourishing of art in Florence.
36. Petrarch
- Overview: An Italian poet and scholar often regarded as the father of humanism.
- Key Concepts: Emphasis on classical texts, the sonnet form, and influence on Renaissance literature.
37. Humanists
- Overview: Scholars who focused on human potential and achievements, emphasizing classical literature and philosophy.
- Key Concepts: Education reform, individualism, and the revival of Greek and Roman texts.
38. Leonardo da Vinci
- Overview: A polymath of the Renaissance known for his contributions to art, science, and engineering.
- Key Concepts: Masterpieces like "Mona Lisa," innovations in anatomy, and inventions.
39. Raphael
- Overview: A prominent Renaissance artist known for his paintings and architectural contributions.
- Key Concepts: Mastery of composition, famous works like "The School of Athens," and influence on later artists.
40. Neo-Platonism
- Overview: A philosophical system that emerged in the Renaissance, blending Platonic ideas with Christian theology.
- Key Concepts: Emphasis on the divine and the spiritual nature of reality.
41. Giotto di Bondone
- Overview: An early Renaissance painter known for his realistic frescoes and innovations in perspective.
- Key Concepts: Emotional expression in art and the transition from medieval to Renaissance styles.
42. Perspective
- Overview: An artistic technique used to create the illusion of depth and space in two-dimensional art.
- Key Concepts: Development during the Renaissance and its impact on painting and architecture.
43. High Renaissance
- Overview: A period in the late 15th and early 16th centuries characterized by the peak of artistic achievement in Europe.
- Key Concepts: Notable artists like Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael; focus on realism and human emotion.
44. Mannerism
- Overview: An artistic style that emerged after the High Renaissance, characterized by elongated forms and emotional intensity.
- Key Concepts: Departure from classical balance and harmony, and complex compositions.
45. Peace of Lodi
- Overview: A treaty signed in 1454 that established a long period of peace in Italy among major city-states.
- Key Concepts: Diplomatic relations, balance of power, and stability in the region.
46. Girolamo Savonarola
- Overview: An Italian friar known for his sermons against corruption and moral decay in Florence.
- Key Concepts: Influence on politics, opposition to secularism, and eventual execution.
47. Niccolò Machiavelli
- Overview: A Renaissance political philosopher best known for his work "The Prince," which discusses power and statecraft.
- Key Concepts: Realism in politics, the concept of virtù, and the idea that "the ends justify the means.”
48. Francesco Sforza
- Overview: A condottiero who became Duke of Milan, known for his military skill and political maneuvers.
- Key Concepts: Rise to power, impact on Milan’s politics, and patronage of the arts.
49. Jacob Burckhardt
- Overview: A Swiss historian of art and culture known for his work on the Renaissance.
- Key Concepts: Concept of the Renaissance as a distinct cultural period and analysis of its impact on modernity.
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