1. Revival of trade: 11th century Improved agricultural techniques – increased crop production Population increase --- towns and cities New trade.

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RENAISSANCE POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

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SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE RENAISSANCE: ECONOMICS

Revival of trade: 11th century

Improved agricultural techniques – increased crop production

Population increase --- towns and cities

New trade routes Improved transportation

( especially shipbuilding) Currency based economy

(no barter system)

A Renaissance-era moneychanger

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SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE RENAISSANCE: POLITICS

City-states (Renaissance originate here) Communes – associations of local

merchant guilds that took care of most city services (such as building city walls and keeping civil order)

New economic elite – nobles and merchants who join as political allies, economic allies and through intermarriage

The popolo - (“the people”) Artisans and lesser merchants; non citizens

(didn’t own property); taxed heavily; pushed for political change

Run by Oligarchies and dictatorships Condottieri – mercenary soldiers;

provided defense and kept order

A group of condottieri

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ITALIAN CITY-STATES

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ITALIAN CITY-STATES --- CONFLICT

Internal conflict External Conflict

Fought for control of commercial trade routes; natural resources; access to sea ports

Fought over territory and fought for power Competed socially – tried to outdo each

other in terms of opulence, sophistication and artistic achievement

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MILAN

Northern Italy Ruled by The

Visconti family Territorial expansion

– used to gain power

Milanese ruler Gian Galeazzo Visconti

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THE SFORZA FAMILY

Ruled Milan, 1450–1535 Francesco Sforza

(1401–1466) – replaced last of Visconti rulers Hired to defend city but

used opportunity to attack city and seize power

Ludovico Sforza (1451–1508) Great patron of the arts Sponsored Leonardo da

VinciFrancesco Sforza

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VENICE Major center of

trade --- crossroads b/w east and west

Doge – elected ruler who oversaw lesser officials (figurehead; no real power)

Merchant oligarchy Real rulers ---200

merchant families

Customs House and entrance to the Grand Canal (Venice)

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FLORENCE

Center of banking and textiles

Bankers for the papacy and most of Europe

The gold florin – recognized as international currency

Basically a republic, but controlled by an oligarchy of bankers and merchants

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THE MEDICI FAMILY

Powerful bankers Ruled Florence for

most of the 15th century

Cosimo de Medici (1434-1464) Ruled Florence

behind the scenes Patrons of the arts –

supported Donatello, Brunelleschi; built first library

Cosimo de Medici

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LORENZO DE MEDICI

Grandson of Cosimo Assumed power in 1469

at age 21 “Lorenzo the Magnificent”

(1469-1492) Held absolute power –

exercised power behind the scenes

Great supporter of the Arts (more than Cosimo)

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SAVONAROLA Dominican friar --

Preached against Florence’s “sinfulness” and “immorality” (especially the Medici)

Won followers that eventually led to the expulsion of the Medici (1494)

Once Medici were gone Savonarola controlled life in Florence.

Bonfire of the Vanities (1497) – confiscated luxury items, books by “immoral” writers and “pagan” works of art and burned everything in a huge fire

Hanged and burned 1498

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ROME AND THE PAPAL STATES

Renaissance popes: both religious and political leaders

During the Renaissance, the Papacy became more political and secular

A distant view of Vatican City in Rome

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POPES AND THE ARTS DURING THE RENAISSANCE

Pope Nicholas V

Interior view of the Sistine Chapel

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PAPAL POLITICSDURING THE RENAISSANCE

Pope Alexander VI Pope Julius IIPope Sixtus IV

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POPE SIXTUS IV (1471–1484)

Member of the della Rovere family

Favoritism towards relatives

Pazzi conspiracy (attempt to overthrow the Medici and replace them with his nephew

Encouraged Venice to attack Ferrara (wanted to put another nephew in charge)

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POPE ALEXANDER VI (1492–1503)

Member of the Borgia family

Became Pope by bribing cardinals

One of the most corrupt and immoral popes Had a mistress, threw

scandalous parties, sold church offices and took property from nobles and cardinal to make himself wealthier

Put his son Cesare in charge of papal armies

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POPE JULIUS II (1503–1513)

Member of the della Rovere family

The “warrior pope” Restored territories in

Romagna, Perugia, and Bologna to the Papal States

Orchestrated wars against Venice and France

had St. Peter’s Basilica constructed ;a patron to the painter Raphael, artist and architect Michelangelo, whom he commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

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CESARE BORGIA (1475–1507)

Son of Pope Alexander VI Illegitimate

Led Papal Armies in campaigns in Romagna

Admired by Machiavelli for ruthless efficiency Once thought he might

unify all of Italy Power declined after

the death of Alexander

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PATRONAGE Financial support

of artists Means for the

wealthy and powerful to compete socially with one another

Types of patronage Commission artist

to create a specific work

Artist could live in patron’s house and create several works

Wealthy Renaissance merchants, as depicted in a fresco by artist Domenico Ghirlandaio

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EDUCATION AND THOUGHT:MACHIAVELLI

The Prince (book) analyzed politics in

Renaissance Italy offered advice on

how to rule

Admired Cesare Borgia

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MACHIAVELLI’S ADVICE

“It is better to be feared than loved” (terror keeps people loyal; affection is changeable)

“A prince should imitate the lion and the fox” (fox recognizes traps; lion frightens wolves)

“A man forgets more easily the death of his father than the loss of money”

“Men are ungrateful, changeable pretenders, runaways in danger, eager for gain”

“ By no means can a prudent ruler keep his word….If all men were good it would be right to keep promises, but b/c they are bad and do not keep promises to you, you likewise do not have to keep your promises to them.

The end justifies the means. If you have a good purpose, any way you go about accomplishing it is all right

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MACHIAVELLIAN

To be Machiavellian you would be described as unscrupulous, amoral, tricky and manipulative.

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COURTLY EDUCATION: CASTIGLIONE

Libro del Cortegiano

(The Courtier) Described ideal

behavior for social elites

Sprezzatura Role of women

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WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

Education Roles as

patrons of the arts

Women political leaders in Italy

Isabella d’EsteCaterina Sforza

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THE ITALIAN WARS

1494–1559 European

powers fought for control of various Italian city-states

Helped spread the Renaissance to western Europe

Entry of the French king Charles VIII into Florence at the start of the Italian Wars

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CHARLES VIII OF FRANCE

1470–1498 Encouraged by

Ludovico Sforza to invade Italy and lay claim to Naples

France enters Italy in 1494

Charles takes Naples, but is then defeated by the League of VeniceCharles VIII Ludovico Sforza

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LOUIS XII OF FRANCE

1462–1515 Succeeded Charles

VIII Invaded Italy in

1499, taking Milan and Genoa

Partitioned Naples with King Ferdinand of Spain

Treaties of Blois (1504 & 1505)

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POPE JULIUS II

1503: Romagna cities annexed by Venice

1509: The League of Cambrai—France, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Papal States vs. Venice

1510: The Holy League—The Papal States, Venice, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire vs. France

1516: Peace of Noyon

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HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR CHARLES V Grandson of Ferdinand of

Spain, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I

1521: War to take Milan from France

1525: Battle of Pavia—France defeated

1527: Sack of Rome The Italian Wars finally end

in 1559, when France renounces all claims in Italy

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THE NORTHERN RENAISSANCE

More focused on Christianity than the Italian Renaissance

Began late 15th

century/early 16th century

Altarpiece for the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent, created by Northern Renaissance artist Jan van Eyck

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THE PRINTING PRESS

Invented by Johann Gutenberg in the mid-1400s

Made printed works cheaper and more readily available

Increased literacy in Europe

Helped spread new ideas

A replica of Gutenberg’s printing press

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CHRISTIAN HUMANISM

Union of classical influences and Christianity

Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536)

Influence on northern Renaissance artChristian humanist

scholar Desiderius Erasmus

A woodcut of Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer, a German

Renaissance artist

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RENAISSANCE POLITICS AND ECONOMICS: LEGACY