101-103 Renaissance Notes

Medici vs. Pazzi Conflict

• Explanation of the conflict between the Medici and the Pazzi.
• Assessment of its significance to the understanding of the Renaissance.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

• Translation to English: Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower
• Year: 1000

Santa Maria del Fiore: History and Meaning

• Origin and Meaning of \"Santa Maria del Fiore\" (Our Lady of the Flower)
• The name of the Florence Cathedral is both poetic and mysterious.

Connection to Florence

• Lily of Florence's coat of arms (white on red field until 1251) links to \"Florentia,\" meaning \"city destined to flourish.\"
• Ancient Romans chose the name around 59 BC, possibly due to founding the city in spring during \"ludes floreales\" (floral games for goddess Flora) or after the legendary founder \"Fiorino.\"

Historical Documents & Name Evolution

• Giovanni Villani claimed in his \"Chronicles\" (14th century) that the name was chosen in 1296, but Florentines continued calling it Santa Reparata for over a century as the old cathedral existed within the new one.
• Official documents used Santa Reparata until 1412.
• Santa Maria del Fiore was officially confirmed on March 29 (and April 12).
• Feast day set on March 25th, coinciding with \"Florentine New Year\" and the feast of the Annunciation to Mary.

Republic of Florence

• The Republic aligned its civil year with nature's rebirth and the liturgical calendar.
• The Church celebrates the Incarnation of the Savior in early spring, marking a new era of Redemption and Salvation.

Controversy & Shift of Feast Day

• A mid-15th century dispute arose with the Santissima Annunziata, which had its feast on the same day.
• The Cathedral feast was moved to February 2nd, the feast of The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, or Candlemas.

Symbolism

• Virgin Mary's \"Flower\" embodies spring, life, rebirth, salvation, and renewal.
• The \"Renaissance\" flourished at the Cathedral construction site during the same period.

Association with Flowers in Religious Art

• Mary is often depicted with flowers, especially roses and white lilies, symbolizing her virginal purity (lily) and her as the \"mystic rose\" (rose).

Dante Alighieri's Verses

• Dante, a member of the city government when the new Cathedral's construction began, wrote about a \"Flower\" in the Virgin Mary's womb in Paradiso, XXXIII, 1, 7-9.
• Quote from Dante: \"Virgin Mother, daughter of your Son,/ […]'Your womb relit the flame of love its heat has made this blossom seed and flower in eternal peace.\" The poet speaks about a \"Flower\" that has grown in the womb of the Virgin Mary and to which she belongs.

Interpretations of Dante's \"Flower\"

• Some scholars interpret the \"Flower\" as the \"rose of the blessed,\" i.e., the souls in Paradise. This reading suggests the Cathedral's title means \"Our Lady of the Blesseds,\" akin to \"Our Lady of Florence, city of Blessed people.\"
• Other experts interpret \"Flower\" as a reference to Christ, dedicating the Cathedral to Our Lady \"of the Savior.\"
• The Baptistery of Florence was dedicated to the Savior until the sixteenth century, and the Florentine Republic considered Virgin Mary and Christ as heavenly Lords.
• Filippo Brunelleschi was inspired by Dante's verses when designing his dome.

Possible Origins of Florence's Name

• Legend: Named after Florio, a soldier killed on the spot.
• Latin: Related to the Latin word for flowers found in the area.
• Flora: Founded during the Floralia festival, dedicated to the goddess Flora.

Brunelleschi's Classical Influence

• Brunelleschi wanted to celebrate classical forms (Greece and Rome) in the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore.
• He aimed to elevate Florence's status among competing city-states.
• Medici patronage united money and genius in the project.

How Brunelleschi Reflected Classical Architecture

• Soaring dome.
• Rounded arches.
• More color.
• Use of columns.
• Symmetry.
• Inspired by the Pantheon; inner dome rests within an outer dome.

About Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

• Icon of Renaissance architecture.
• Construction started in 1420; used brick, wood, and marble.
• The dome spans 143 feet in diameter.
• Comparison to the Capitol building in D.C., which is 95 feet (built with more modern technology).

Michelangelo's Struggles

• Michelangelo's struggles as a Renaissance artist stemmed from being deeply religious but also a humanist.
• He tried to balance his inner human potential with religious themes in his masterpieces.
• Michelangelo resisted painting scenes from the Bible in the Sistine Chapel, considering himself a sculptor.
• It took him 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo's Art and Religious Values

• Michelangelo’s \"The David\" is a sculpture of David from the First Book of Samuel.
• His paintings and sculptures reflected religion.
• His sculptures also illustrated the classical Greco-Roman style (nudity, perfection, idealization).

Hope Carrasquilla's Trip to Florence

• Hope Carrasquilla, a Florida principal who resigned after sixth-grade students were taught about Michelangelo's David, traveled to Florence to see the sculpture.
• She highlighted the importance of studying the Renaissance, including both art and history.

Analyzing Frescos in the Sistine Chapel

• The frescos depict religious scenes and stories from the Bible.
• Examples include \"The Last Judgment\", Adam and God, and scenes from the Bible ending with judgment day.

Elements in \"The Last Judgment\"

• Angels
• The damned and saved
• Boats escorting the damned to hell
• The resurrection of the dead
• The righteous rise to heaven

Summary

• Brunelleschi and Michelangelo each contributed to Renaissance society.
• The figures were different in artistic focus and personal struggles.

Paragraph Exercise

• Prompt: Was Renaissance art and architecture original?
  • Topic sentence
  • Evidence
  • Analysis
  • Concluding sentence

Renaissance Papacy

• Evaluate the Renaissance Papacy

Savonarola

• Who was Savonarola? Describe his personality.
• What was Savonarola’s attitude towards the Renaissance? Why do you think this was the case?

Michelangelo's Youth

• Describe Michelangelo’s youth. Can you account for the artistic conflict he felt later in life?

Bonfire of the Vanities

• Describe the “bonfire of the vanities”. Assess the significance of the development. Predict how this will affect the Medici and the Renaissance in general

The Papacy

• How should a Pope behave?
• What are papal responsibilities and powers?

Renaissance vs. Medieval Values

• Discuss! • What were Renaissance values and how were they different from Medieval values?
• How do you predict the Papacy will reflect Renaissance values?

Sixtus IV (Pope: 1471-84)

• The Sistine Chapel is named for him
• Della Rovere family from Savona

Restoring Rome

• When Sixtus took over, the papacy had little prestige.
• He rebuilt many of the dilapidated churches and buildings in Rome, improved the streets, and built bridges over the Tiber.
• St. Peter’s was shifting on its foundations. He began the process of building a new St. Peter’s
• He built the Sistine Chapel as a fortress against the Roman mob so that the cardinals could elect a new pope safely.

Bad Things Sixtus Did

• Spent a lot of money on the papacy.
• Enriched his family with favors, money, offices.
• Appointed two immoral sons as cardinals.
• Interfered with the politics of other Italian city states.
• Supported the Pazzi Conspiracy against the Medici, and when Lorenzo took revenge, went to war against Florence.

Good Things Sixtus Did

• Built the Sistine Chapel, the Sistine Bridge, and helped create the Vatican library.
• Served as patron to many artists.
• Tried to suppress the abuses of The Spanish Inquisition.
• Established the first foundling hospital.

Report Card Grade for Sixtus IV?

• A+ or F-

Innocent VIII (1482-92)

• From honorable ancient family of Genoa.
• Used the papacy to generate money.
• Institutionalized simony: selling of offices; (Vatican librarian = 250 ducats, about 4000).
• Even the papacy was for sale.
• Set up a board to sell favors

Innocent VIII (1482-92) - Family and Corruption

• He had numerous “nephews” and “nieces” along with two acknowledged children.
• He married one of his daughters to Lorenzo Medici’s son.
• In return, he made another of Lorenzo’s sons a cardinal at age 14 (and that Medici became Pope Leo X).
• The story goes that to keep from death, doctors drained the blood from three children for transfusions for Innocent.

Report Card Grade for Innocent VIII?

• A+ or F-

The Borgias

• THE ORIGINAL CRIME FAMILY

Alexander VI (1492-1503)

• Spanish cardinal; 2nd Borgia pope. (Callixtus III, his uncle, was the first.)
• Elected by spending more money on elections then anyone before.

Let's Grade the Borgia Pope!

• He had 3 main (married) mistresses: he acknowledged some of his children, including Cesare and Lucrezia.
• He spent lavishly to enrich his family and buy lands and titles for them.

Fun Facts!

• Went to war to get territory for Cesare and two nephews to rule.
• Created 12 new cardinalates, including one for Cesare (18 years old) and one for the brother of his then mistress.
• Gambling, cheating, women from brothels brought for bawdy exhibitions at St. Peter’s.
• Greedy: any cardinal, nobleman, official (even his secretary) known to be rich could be accused of some offense; imprisoned, or murdered, and then

Report Card Grade for Alexander VI?

• A+ or F-

Discussion

• How do these Popes measure up to our standards in the beginning of class?
• How do you think the people will respond to the Popes?

Dominican Friar, Savonarola

• Became disgusted with the bad behavior of the Medicis and the Popes.
• Believed that humanism was perverting the soul of man.
• He argued that the Renaissance had strayed too far away from God and the Church’s true teachings.
• After the death of Lorenzo Medici, Savonarola ruled Florence.

Borgia Pope

• Why was Savonarola dangerous to the Borgia pope?

Savonarola's Excommunication and Fate

• Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Savonarola for heresy!
• He is hanged and then burned.

Savonarola and the Public

• The people of Florence are far from considering themselves ignorant, and yet Brother Girolamo Savonarola succeeded in persuading them that he held converse with God.
• If he was good, we have seen a great prophet in our time; if he was bad, we have seen a great man.

Julius II (1503-13)

• Nephew of Sixtus IV.
• Targeted by the Borgias, was exiled for 10 years before Alexander’s death.
• Greatest art patron of the popes.
• Close friendship with Michelangelo.
• Sistine chapel ceiling.
• Patronage of other artists, including Bramante and Raphael.
• Raphael’s paintings in his library.

A Worldly Pope

• elected with the liberal help of simony (sold jobs to people), but…

• Immediately after his election he decreed all future papal elections affected by simony would be invalid, subject to penalty.

• Inspired great artistic creations of Bramante and Raphael.

Julius II Achievements

• Julius added many fine buildings to Rome and laid the groundwork in the Vatican Museum for the world's greatest collection of antiquities.
• Around 1503, the Pope conceived the idea of building a new basilica of St. Peter.
• Its foundation stone was laid on April 18, 1506.

Report Card Grade for Julius II?

• A+ or F-

Pope Leo X (1513-21)

• Son of Lorenzo de Medici.
• Grew up alongside Michelangelo.
• Carried out some of the building of St. Peter’s.
• Responsible for Martin Luther’s beginning the Reformation.

Pope Leo X

• What kind of Pope will he be?
• \"God gave us the papacy. Let us enjoy it.\"

Normal practice for Renaissance Popes

• corruption and hedonism-Though he didn’t father children as some of his predecessors, he did live a life of pleasure.
• Appointed 3 nephews and 2 first cousins to cardinalates.
• During his tenure, so much corruption that Rome became a dangerous place: 4-5 murdered every night, including bishops and other prelates both as

Origin of Indulgences

• Rebuilding St. Peter’s: Popes needed money to finish it and had already spent the Vatican’s on own pleasures.
• Plenary indulgences already declared for those on crusades: applying amassed virtue and good deeds and goodness of saints to purchasers.
• Hired Tetzel, a German charismatic preacher, to sell indulgences and told German archbishops they could share any funds collected.
• He declared that indulgences good not only for the living but for the dead relatives, too.

Report Card Grade for Pope Leo X?

• A+ or F-

Renaissance Papacy

Report Card for the Renaissance Papacy overall?

Machiavelli and Castiglione

• Apply Renaissance ideals of citizenship and leadership to our current world.

Do Now: Discuss!

• Do you work better for teachers you like or teachers you are afraid of?
• Why?

Related Questions

• Is honesty always the best policy? If not, when is it acceptable to be less than truthful?
• Should political leaders “get a pass” in regard to honesty?

Renaissance Authors

• Today we will analyze 2 Renaissance authors:
  • Machiavelli
  • Castiglione

Renaissance Books

• Why were books like The Courtier and The Prince published during the Renaissance?
• Conflicting ideas about philosophy, politics, and religion were all hitting society at the same time, so people were starting to feel confused.
• It became VERY POPULAR to publish“ how to” books.
• They helped to guide people through life by learning from an expert.

We Look at "How To" Books for Advice as Well.

Activity-1

• Explain what is meant by “courtier” and “prince” for your partner
• Summarize the author’s basic views/arguments for your partner
• Together discuss: Did the author’s views line up with your own views of what a citizen or leader should be like?
• How might both of these authors have been beneficial for the time?

Activity-1: Partner A: The Ideal of Perfection

• Make a list of the qualities that you associate with a good citizen.
• Baldassare Castiglione's The Courtier was a 16th-century book that instructed people about how to develop a well-rounded personality.
• What is a courtier?
• What was important to Castiglione? How did he judge a person's character?
• In your opinion, are the values that Castiglione set forth in his book a good guide for members of society?
• Having read Castiglione, would you change anything on the list that you made in Exercise 1? Explain.

Castiglione

• “The Courtier” was a guidebook for court officials to follow, but gradually people thought it reflected values of any good citizen.
• He argued that proper citizens needed to engage in many fields of academics in order to have a well-rounded personality.
• Education was essential for success and it was how you won respect in Renaissance society.
• Castiglione labelled such persons, “The Universal Man”. Now we refer to such a well-rounded pursuant of knowledge person as a “Renaissance Man”.

Values for Contemporary United States

• Which of Castiglione’s advice and ideas would be welcomed in the contemporary United States?
• Which might not?

What Makes a Great Leader?

• Make a list of the qualities and characteristics of a good leader.

Donald Trump as Leader

• Why was Donald Trump elected to lead the United States?
• Has he been a worthy leader?

Niccolo Machiavelli

• The Prince.

Machiavellian Traits

• scoring
• 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree
• Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless you have to.
• The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.
• Most people are basically good and kind.
• Honesty is always the best policy.
• There is no excuse for lying to someone else.
• Most people won't work hard unless they're forced to.
• All in all, it is better to be humble and honest than to be important and dishonest.
• Most people who get ahead in the world lead clean, moral lives.
• Anyone who completely trusts anyone else is asking for trouble.
• The difference between criminals and others is that criminals were stupid enough to get caught.
• Most people are brave.
• It is wise to flatter important people.

Machiavelli Traits. Scoring

• Group A:
  • Add your score from each of these questions:
  • 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 12
  • Subtract your Group B total from your Group A total and that is your final score!

Machiavelli Personality

• You are very likily to manipulate and or are skilfull at it
  Group B:

• You are not to trust people.You have strong faith in your self and in your belifs.Most people are good at hart, thisis your place and you will do great things.
  What is Machiavelli?

Machiavelli's Excerpts: The Prince

• Which of Machiavelli’s advice and ideas would be welcomed in the contemporary United States?
• Which might not?

Who was Machiavelli?

• What was The Prince?
• The book’s theme: POWER - How to get it, keep it, and avoid losing it.
• The Prince was the first modern guide to politics.
• Machiavelli worked as an official under the Medici and other political figures in the Florentine Republic.
• With the Medici returned to Florence, they dismissed Machiavelli from office, later imprisoning and torturing him for his role in The Battle of Prato.
• Most scholars believe Machiavelli wrote The Prince

Most Famous Qotes

• “Is it better for a prince to be loved more than feared? Or is it better to be feared more than loved?”

Machiavelli's Prince

• In Machiavelli's The Prince (1513), a \"prince\" is not necessarily a royal figure by birth, but rather any ruler or political leader who holds power over a state—whether he came to that power through inheritance, conquest, appointment, or his own cunning.
• A ruler of a principality
• Modern Equivalent: Today, Machiavelli’s “prince” could be seen as any head of state, dictator, political leader, or CEO—anyone who wields significant power and must navigate the realities of leadership.

What Would Machiavelli Do ???

• If you were going to take over a country, how would you do it?
  • A. Using your own personal army.
  • B. Using your friend’s army.
  • C. Poisoning the king and murdering his family.
  • D. Explain to the people that the king is bad and that you should be the leader.
• What type of army would you have?
  • A. An army of well-trained soldiers that you pay to support you.
  • B. An army of troops borrowed from your friends.
  • C. An army of people from your own country.
  • D. An army of love.
• Which of these seems best to you?
  • A. Don’t worry about following laws, just do whatever you want.
  • B. Don’t worry about laws, do anything to help your people.
  • C. Follow the laws at all times.
  • D. Follow the laws unless your country itself is in danger.
• If your people wanted you to build them a Colosseum, what would you do?
  • A. Build it and let them in free to make them happy.
  • B. Build it and charge them to come in.
  • C. Ignore their request without explanation.
  • D. Explain that it would cost too much to build.
• You catch a group of people talking about how you are a bad king. You:
  • A. Kill them all!
  • B. Kill them all, and their families!
  • C. Reason with them explaining why they are wrong.
  • D. Ask them nicely to stop.
• Someone tells you that your brother wants your throne. What do you do?
  • A. Kill him!
  • B. Trick him into telling you the truth.
  • C. Ask him calmly what was going on.
  • D. Tell him who told you and then discuss the situation.
• How would you show how great a ruler you are?
  • A. Built great roads, bridges and statues.
  • B. Make sure all your people have food.
  • C. Build up your army and attack your most hated enemies.
  • D. Make all your people bow down when you walk by.

Government by Machiavelli

• How well you understood Machiavelli?

• Let’s see how well you understood Machiavelli… Based on the situation below, what would Machiavelli do? A train is going 75 mph, has no brakes, and can’t stop. Ahead of the train are 7 people working on the track, completely unaware of the danger approaching them. You have no way of warning or communicating with these people. Fortunately, you can save these 7 lives by diverting the train onto another track. Unfortunately, there are 2 people working on that second track. To make matters worse, those 2 people happen to be your friends and you have no way of communicating with them. A) Divert the train and kill your two friends; B) Do NOT divert the train and kill the seven people. ???

• Which of Machiavelli’s ideas are most controversial?

  • Machiavelli believed that leaders should NOT seek to be “loved” by the people; being feared would accomplish more goals.
  • He didn’t believe leaders needed to show their true intentions—they should keep secrets if necessary.
  • He believed that leaders could be good, but they needed to be willing to be “evil” if the situation called for it.

What would Machiavelli say about our president? Why?

Government. Impact of the Renaissance.

• Analyze the impact of The Renaissance on politics and science.
• economic factors affecting cultural factors.
• religious factors affecting social factors.
• cultural factors affecting religious factors.