Renaissance in The Italian City-States 
Last Updated    12/21/2007      12/18/2007     12/17/2007
Around the 1300s, scholars took a new interest in classical writings
The Greek and Roman writings were called classical literature.
Humanists were scholars who believed in the importance of people.
This led in the new age of the Renaissance.
Renaissance was a rebirth of learning.
People became interested in the world around them.

City-States
Italy was the leading center of the Renaissance.
The leading city-states in Italy were Florence, Venice, and the Papal States.
The Papal States included Rome and, they were ruled by the Pope.
The city-states were wealthy from trade.
The city-states were first ruled by guilds.
Later powerful individuals or families took control.
They fought each other for land and power.
The leaders spent money on ceremonies and parades to impress and entertain the people.
They built churches and palaces.
The encouraged scholars to set up schools for the sons of the rich.
In school they studied classical writings and learning good manners.
The rest of the day they wrestled, fenced, and swam.

Art
Art was important in Renaissance Italy.
City-states competed for the services of the the best painters and sculptor.
Artists began to develop their own style.
They studies Greek and Roman art, science, and math.
Painters were interested in perspective.
They drew the human body accurately.
They had a true to life style.
Their art was full of color and action.
Artist were paid by the rulers of the city-states.
The artists made paintings and sculptures for the rulers.
Artists trained apprentices in their workshops.
The apprentices added backgounds, costumes, or hands to the paintings.
Artists painted portraits for the rich.
In addition, Renaissance artists designed and carved furniture.
They made jewelry, cloaks, and masks.
The planned scnery for plays.
They molded candlesticks., chandeliers, and decorated cakes.

Italian Renaisaance Men


Leonardo da Vinci
1542 April 15, Leonardo born in the region of Florence.
Painted the Mona Lisa.
Painted the Last Supper.
He was also a scientist.
He designed  the first parachute.
He made drawings of flying machines, a bicycle, and mechanical diggers.

Michaelangelo
He painted scenes from the Bible on the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel.
He sculpted the Pieta, Christ being held by his mother.

Raphael
He was an artist who painted historical and religious frescoes.
He was famous for his portraits of the Virgin Mary.
As an archirect he helped construct St. Peters Basilica in Rome.


City Life
Italian Renaissance cities had narrow paved streets.
Open sewers ran through the middle.
Shopkeepers and merchants lived on the top floors of their buildings.
The rich lived in homes with large rooms and high ceilings.
The rooms were built around a central courtyard.
The poor worked for low wages and lived in run-down areas.

Piazza
The piazza or marketplace was the center of city life.
Merchants tradd goods.
People gathered to talk and to carry out business.
Parades and ceremonies were held there.

Family Life
Families worked and lived in the same neighborhood.
Marriages were arranged.
Women stayed at home and ran the household and raised children.
Men spent their days at work.
They met and talked on the streets and in taverns.

Clothing
Men dressed in tights and a tunic.
Some wore cloaks and caps.
Women wore flowing dresses with tight bodices.
The rich wore brightly colored clothing.
The clothes were made from expensive silks and velvets trimmed with fur.

Games and Sports
The ideal person participated in a variety of activities.
Javelin hurling, chess, archery, fencing, boxing, snowball fights, and gambling.
Women paricipated in many sports including giuco della palla, which became tennis.

Florence
59 BC, Florence began as a settlement established by Julius Caesar for his veteran soldiers.
The Italian Renaissance began in Florence.
Florence was ruled by the Medici family.
1478, Lorenzo de Medici became the ruler of Florence.
Florence was the center of art and learning.
Artists, poets, and philosophers were drawn to Florence for Medici's support.
Lorenzo was known as "the Magnificent."
1490, trade began to decline.
Merchants complained Medici was to strict.
The poor complained about their poor housing and the lack of food.



Savonarola
1452 September 21, Savonarola is born.
1475,Savonarola is made a friar.
1482, he is ordered to Florence.
1487, Savonarola leaves Florence unnoticed.
1490, he is asked to return.
Savonarola accused the Medici of being unjust rulers.
1494, Savonarola and the people overthrew the Medicis.
The new government did away with parties, gambling, swearing, and horse-racing.
They burned paintings, fancy clothes, musical instruments, and classical books.
Bands of Hope were children that searched for for playing cards and musical instruments.
They would throw these into a huge bonfire.
This was called the Bonfires of the Vanities.
1497 May 13, Pope Alexander VI excommunicated Savonarola.
The people of Florence had tired of Savonarola's strict ways.
1498 May 23, he was hanged and burned for heresy.
A plaque commemorates the site of his execution.
The Medicics returned to power.
Florence's time of greatness had passed.

The Papal States
1300s-1400s, power of the popes declined.
In Rome they built large churches and palaces.
Piazzas and wide streets streets were built.
Most Popes were not religious they were political leaders.
They collected taxes, minted money, raised armies, and fought wars.
1492, Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI.
He bribed cardinals to vote for him.
The Pope's goal was to make central Italy a kingdom ruled by the Borgia family.
Alexnder built an army for his son, Cesare.
The army took control of many towns.
The taken lands were lost when Alexander died.
Rome had taken the place of Florence as the center of the Renissance.

Venice
Venice is located on the ASdriatic Sea between the Po and Piave rivers.
In the Late 1500s, Renisaance reaches Venice.
Venice had looked to Constantinople for art and literature.
Venice was built on 117 islands with 400 bridges and 150 canals.
Instead of streets they had canals.
The Grand Canal was the main street.
The Rialto was the business raea.
Traders from Europe and the East bought and sold goods.
Venice was ruled by aristocrats.
They controlled the Senate and the Council of Ten.
The Council of Ten passed laws and chose the doge, ruler.
The doge obeyed the Council of Ten.
Loyalty to their city was important to Venetians.
If a neighbor did something suspicious they were expected to report it.
You wrote a letter and placed it in a special box.
Those accused were quickly arrested and brought before the Council of Ten.
Council members studied the evidence and listened to witnesses.
Then they decided if the accused was gulty or innocent.

Bibliography
"Florence." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 15 Dec. 2007.  21 Dec. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence.

"Girolamo Savonrola." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 2 Dec. 2007.  21 Dec. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola.

Greenblatt, Miriam, and Lemmo, Peter. Human Heritage A World History. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2001.

"Leonardo da Vinci." Olga's Gallery. 18 Dec. 2007. http://www.abcgallery.com/L/leonardo/leonardo.html.

"Michelangelo." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 18 Dec. 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo.

"Raphael." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 15 Dec. 2007.  18 Dec. 2007.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael.

"Savonarola." Wikipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 2 Dec. 2007.  21 Dec. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola.