Italy+Birthplace+of+the+Renaissance

=Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance=

Key Words:
 * 1) Renaissance- From 1300 to 1600, an explosion of creativity in art, and writing. Renaissance means rebirth, in this context it refers to a revival of art and learning.
 * 2) Humanism- An intellectual movement that focused on human potenial and achievements. Instead of trying to mskr classical texts agree with Christian teachings as medieval shcolars had, humanists studied them to understand ancuent Greek values.
 * 3) Secular- The basic spirit of Reniassance society, worldy rather than spiritual and concered with here and now.
 * 4) Patrons- Church leaders during the Renaissance beautified Rome and othe cities by spending huge amounts of money for art.
 * 5) Perspective- A technique that painters used which shows three demenions on a flat surface.
 * 6) Vernacular- Dante wrote his native language in it, Italian was his native langauge.

People:
 * 1) Dante
 * 2) Medici Family- A powerful banking family, that ruled Florence.
 * 3) Lorenzo the Magnificent- Ruled Florence as a dictator yet kept up the appearence of having an elected government.
 * 4) Baldassare Castiglione- Wrote the book called T//he Courtier,// he taught how to become a "universal man" or "Rennaissance man".
 * 5) Isabella d'Este- One of only a few women who exercised power. She was born into ruling family of another city-state. She bought mny Renaissance artists to count her and build a famous art collection. She was also skilled in politics, when her husban was taken captive in war, she defended Mantua and won his release.
 * 6) Donatello- Made sculptures more realistic bycarving nature postures and expressions the revealed personality.
 * 7) Michelangelo- Used a realistic style when depicting the human body.
 * 8) Leoarno da Vinci- A painter, sculpture, inventor, and a scientist. he was a true "universe man" or "Reniasance man".
 * 9) Rapheal- Was younger than Michelangelo and Leonardo. He learned from studting their works.
 * 10) Anguissola- One of the few famous women pianters. Is know for portraits of her sisters and prominant people.
 * 11) Gentilescho- Another accomplished woman painter. she trained with her father who was also a painter.
 * 12) Petrarch one of the earliest and most influenial humanists. Called the "Father of Reniassance" by some. He was a great poet, **he wrote sonnets:14 line poems.**
 * 13) Boccaccio- best known for the D//ecameron// a series of realistic stories, supposedly told by a group of worldy young people waiting in a rural villa to avoid the plague sweeping through Florence.
 * 14) Michialvelli- Wrote //The Pronce// he examined the imperfect conduct of human beings. He examines how a ruler can gain power and keep it in spite of his enemies. He said to succed in such a wicked world you had to be as strong as a lion and as shrewd as a fox.
 * 15) Vittoria Colonna exchanged sonnets with Michelangelo and helped Castiglione punlish //The Courtier.// Her own poems expressed personal emotions.

Ideas/Events:

ITALY'S ADVANTAGES:
 * The contributions made in this periodled to innovated styles of art and liturature.
 * The Reniassance period had three major advantages that were **1)** **thriving cities 2) wealthy merchant class 3) classical heritage of Greece and Rome.**
 * Over seas trade had lead to the growth of larger city-states in northern Italy.
 * Northern Italy was urban, while teh rest of Europe was still rual.
 * In the 1300 the bubonic plague struck this area in Italy and Europe, they lost about 60% of their population.
 * A wealthy merchant class developed in each Italian city-states.
 * Unlike nobles, merchants didn't inherit social rank.
 * Since the late 1200's the city-state of Florence had a republican government.
 * Cosimo de Medici was the wealthiest European of his time. He died in 1464.
 * **First, the artists and scholars of Italy drew inspiration from the ruins of Rome that surrounded them. Second, Wstern scholars studied aciecnt latin manuscripts that had been preserved in monosteries. Third, Christian scholars in Constantinople fled to Rome with Greek manuscripts when the Turks conquered Constaninople in 1453.**

CLASSIC AND WORLDY VALUES:
 * Humanists influenced artists and architechs to carry on classical traditions.
 * Humanists suggested that people might enjoy life without offending god.
 * Renaissance merchants and wealthy families were also patrons of the fine arts.
 * A man who acceled in many fields was known as a univeral man.
 * Women were exspected to inspire art, but not to make it.

THE RENAISANCE REVOLUTIONIZES ART:
 * Reniassance art portrayed a religious subject to convey a spiritual idea.
 * Painters began to paint proninant citizens.

RENIASSANCE WRITERS CHANGE LITARATURE:
 * Writer wrote either for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their subjects.
 * In the real world of politics a prince must mislead the people and lie to his oppents.
 * The woman writters that gained fame during the Renaissance usually wrote about personal subjects, not politics.