What was the Italian Renaissance?
Purpose of this digital resource
The word renaissance has its origins in Latin and in French literally means rebirth. This term carries with it many meanings and historians differ as to how they interpret and understand the Renaissance. For some it implies a spirit of self­discovery, recognition of human worth, and a dynamic outpouring of creative activity embodied in the work of great Renaissance humanists and artists such as Giovanni, Leonardo de Vinci, and Michelangelo. Other historians highlight how the Renaissance was a period of rebuilding, when Europe was slowly recovering from the worst ravages of the Black Death. This plague, spread by rats and Elees, devastated Europe and killed off about 1/3 of the population. Here we see the term rebirth associated with the word recovery, which means "to recuperate from some unhappy condition or to regain something that has been lost." However, if the Renaissance was a rebirth or a period of recovery, we must ask ourselves a rebirth or recovery from what? In this sense, the Renaissance can be understood as a period of time from the early 1400's to the later 1500's when Europe was recovering from the disastrous 14th century (1300s) described by one historian as "a violent, tormented, bewildered, suffering, and disintegrating age; a time, as many thought, of Satan triumphant." As a way to enter into the world of the Italian Renaissance, the documentary Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance provides a insight into some of the central characteristics and developments during this period. Inquiry
This digital resource is meant to serve a number of purposes. Firstly, it is meant to house within one space a collection of the best resources including documentaries, YouTube links, historical maps, and art to help us enter into the world of the Italian Renaissance. In this way, it is meant to overcome the problem with purely text‐ based resources such as the traditional textbook that are deathly boring for students and additionally fail to provide the images necessary for the formatin of their education. Beyond this, the resource has Eiltered the subject of the Renaissiance through various approaches to social studies and provides a series of inquiry tasks informed by particular theories of learning. See page 4 for a list of the inquiry tasks interspersed throughout each section. This resource is split into two sections. The Eirst sets the groundwork for a second inquiry project that asks students to make connections between the Renaissance and our own time in order to consider whether Calgary possesses the necessary conditions to become a Renaissance city. As a culminating activity students will lead a citizenship initiative at City Hall communicating how we as a community could help foster a Renaissance in Calgary today. Task #1: Ensuring that you are interacting with the knowledge
gained from the Medici documentary, take notes on on the
nature of political, cultural, and artistic life in Florence during
the 1500's? What are some of the major elements of worldview
evident in the behavior of people at this time?
Calgary:
Renaissance City
or Medieval Village?
The Italian
Renaissance
Humanities 8 Digital Textbook
and Inquiry Guide
Historical Background
Now that we have entered into the world of 15th‐16th century Florence during what has become known as the Renaissance, let us take a step back to better understand the historical period that preceded this time of recovery and rebirth. Fall of Rome (410 AD)
To understand the Renaissance, we Eirst need to go all the way back to the fall of Rome, the largest and most glorious Empire the Western world had ever seen. Leading Renaissance Eigures looked to Rome and its glorious achievements as an inspiration to live up to and recreate in the Renaissance. A Dark Age Descends Upon
Europe (5th to 10th Century)
After various so‐called Barbarian tribes overran and carved up the Roman Empire among themselves, Europe went through what historians have variously termed The Middle Ages, The Medieval Period, or The Dark Ages (watch until 6:00). Europe Emerges from the
Darkness (11th-13th Century)
Europe is Plunged into a
Holocaust (14th Century)
The 14th century can be seen as
The form of political and social organizations that took one of the most horrific periods in
hold during this chaotic time European history. A series of
was known as feudalism. calamitous events wreaked havoc
Starting around 1000 AD, on the population. These included
aided by a period of global the Black Death, The 100 Yearsʼ
warming and the rebuilding of War, famine, and a generalized
road networks, Europe began political breakdown and chaos
to recover from this so‐called across all parts of Europe.
“dark age”. Note the fragmentation of
Renaissance Italy into small city
state regions. It took another 400
years before Italy was united as a
single nation.
Importance of
Geography
Note Italy’s central position
between Europe, Africa, and
the Middle East. Additionally
notice how the Alps act as a
natural border shielding Italy
from the rest of Europe.
The Seeds of the
Renaissance are Planted
Be careful though young travelers, as many historians disagree that the period before the Renaissance was a dark age. In fact the seeds that would lead to the Renaissance were planted long ago and involve the contributions of Islamic and Chinese civilizations that were far more advanced than Europe at that time. There are four essential developments that led to the revival of ancient Greek and Roman thought, an explosion of creativity, and new models for living in the world during the Renaissance. The Crusades exposed Euoropeans to a much more sophisticated Islamic Empire and recconnected them with the ancient Silk Road. The results of this were profound as Europe was now opened up to a much wider world and was able to recover much of the learning and knowledge lost during the Dark Ages. Rome
Roman achievements included uniting
Europe, parts of the Middle East and Africa
into a single administration, the building of
a large infrastructure including roads,
massive aqueducts that carried water to
cities, and a plentitude of grand buildings.
The Dark Ages
Although it was actually historians
during the Renaissance that coined the
terms the Middle Ages and the Dark
Ages, there is little doubt that this period
was a time of war, oppression, famine,
and political chaos. Roads fell into
disrepair and the economy went back to
the pre-Roman state of purely
subsistence agricultural and herding.
The Roots of the Renaissance
One of the central developments that set the stage for a Renaissance in Europe was the Crusades (see pp. 20‐21 in Our Worldviews textbook). Partly to channel the aggression of knights and the nobility who spent much of their time killing each other, Kings and the Catholic Church encouraged and funded military campaigns to Jeruselum in order to reclaim the Holy Land from the century. During this time, Muslim ‘inEidels’. Here, Europeans, when they in what is now modern weren’t slaughtering and pillaging Baghdad in Iraq, Arabic scholars invented algebra in the name of God, came into contact with an Arab world that as well as translated all the had gone through a Renaissance major works of classical during a Golden Age in the 11th Greece into Arabic. This A Period of Prosperity
The period between the 11th and the 13th
centuries was a time of relative prosperity
in Europe. During this period trade began
to grow and many towns became more
densely populated. Due to increased road
networks, previously isolated towns and
villages became linked together, increasing
trade. Given all this, the feudal structure
limited movement of people who generally
stayed within their manor.
was essential for the rebirth of Ancient Greek thought in Europe, as much of this learning had been lost during the Dark Ages (see page 18 in the textbook). Beyond opening up European thought to a wider world, the Crusades reconnected Europe with ancient trade routes including the Silk Road (click on maps and also see pages 16‐17 in the textbook). The reconnection with these routes reignited trade and brought goods from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. This included important The Black Death
The Black Death or Bubonic Plague wiped
out a full 33% of the European population.
This along with widespread famine and war
made the 14th century a time when many
thought Satan had triumphed in the world.
innovations that had been invented in China such as paper and gunpowder which were necessary for the invention of the printing press and guns in Europe. The Einal development that sparked the Renaissance was the fall of the Byzantine Empire (starts at 1:00‐2:00+) by the Turks and the resulting migration of scholars to Europe. Complete Inquiry Tasks #2­4 (see top of page 4 under list of inquiry tasks)
Characteristics of the
Italian Renaissance
Now that we have a better understanding of the historical
background and key developments that allowed a period of
recovery and rebirth to occur in northern Italy and then spread to
the rest of Europe, let us explore more deeply exactly what we
mean when we say “the Renaissance.” To achieve this we will
inquire into six areas integral to the character, spirit, and makeup
of this period of dynamic creative activity and innovation:
Humanism/the rebirth of Greek and Roman thought, art,
communication, science/technology, commerce/trade, the city
planning of Florence, and the political organization of Italian city
states.
Although, we will touch on each of these areas together,
individual groups will be asked to research a specific topic area
and inquire into the major changes that were taking place within
your area at this time. Once completed, you will then have an
opportunity to meet with an expert in your topic area and inquire
into whether the changes and developments you learned about
during the Renaissance are occurring in Calgary today. As a
culminating activity you will be asked to create a tri-fold and
presentation identifying Calgaryʼs potential as a Renaissance city
and what specific initiatives we could take to become a
Renaissance city.
The Rebirth of Antiquity and
the Rise of Humanism
One of the deEining elements of the Renaissance was a search for new models for living that departed from the medieval worldview. These new models drew inspiration from Ancient Greek and Roman thought. By the 15th century, poets, scholars, and thinkers began spreading their ideas Eirst in Northern Italy, and then to all parts of Europe. These people were known as Humanists. This recovery of the glories of ancient Greece and Roman thought provided Humanists with a model to guide all aspects of life including art, ethics, and politics. Inquiry Task #5a: What can we learn about the worldview of
the Humanists based on Giovanni’s famous passage from the
Oration on the Dignity of Man?
Hint: Reading humanistic subjects provided a “classical education” and developed what may be called human qualities. “Horses are born,” it was said, “but human beings are not born‐they are formed.”
A Dynamic Outpouring of
Artistic Activity
If there is one area associated
with the Renaissance it is art.
During this period, Florence
became a cauldron of creativity
where rich patrons supported
some of the greatest and most
original pieces of art the
Western World has ever seen.
To this day visitors marvel at the
artistic achievements of this era.
Michelangelo Paints the Sistine Chapel
Perhaps no other piece of art has invoked
so much awe as Michaelangeloʼs fresco on
the roof of the Sistine Chapel at the
Vatican. To this day one can gaze up at the
Biblically inspired God breathing life into
Adam and wonder at the ability of one man
to carry out such artistic vision.
Oration on the Dignity of Man “We have made thee neither of heaven nor of earth,
Neither mortal or immortal,
So that with freedom of choice and with honor,
As thought the maker and molder of thyself,
Thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer.
Thou shalt have the power out of thy soul's judgment,
to be reborn into the higher forms, which are divine.”
‐Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola
Changes in Communication
Another key characteristic of
this time was the invention of
the printing press. Although the
impacts of this invention came
in the latter part of this period,
changes in communication
helped spread what was
primarily a movement in
Northern Italy to all parts of
Europe. It also worked to upend
the hold of the Catholic Church
on peopleʼs thinking.
School of Athens
In this painting Raphael depicts Plato and
Aristotle in the image of Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci to demonstrate the rebirth
of these great thinkers in the present.
The Printing Press
No invention was more important than the
printing press in upending the feudal order
and the hold of the Catholic Church on
both power and the thinking of people
during this time. Ultimately, it would lead to
the Protestant Reformation and a split in
the once united Catholic Christian Europe.
Inquiry Task #6: Noting the
impact of the printing press on
Inquiry Task#5b: Drawing on
society, what do you think were
what you have learned about the
Humanists, after watching Plato’s the three greatest effects of this
Allegory of the Cave, how do you invention on the Medieval
think Humanist thinkers would
world? Provide a justification
have interpreted the symbols in
for your answer including the
this story? (half page reponserole it played in sparking an
provide justifications and
supporting details based on what upheavel in the Medieval order.
you have learned)
Inquiry Task #7: What are the three biggest differences between the medieval paintings of Madonna and Child and the paintings from the Renaissance? How does this reElect a differing worldview?
The Rise of Science and
Technological Innovation
Partly due to the Humanist
focus on man and this world
rather than the afterlife, during
the Renaissance there was a
growing interest in, and
freedom to explore the natural
world. For example, artists
such as Leonardo, dug up and
studied dead bodies in order to
gain a greater understanding of
human physiology.
The Sketchbook of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo mastered the human form in
his paintings through dissecting bodies
he dug up from graveyards.
In learning about the life of Leonardo da Vinci we can also learn much about how the worldview of Humanism combined with the dynamic realities of Florence during 15th and 16th centuries to encourage and foster a new exploration into man and the world. Inquiry Task #8: How did
the rise of Humanism lead to
the rise of science and
technological inventions?
How does Leonardo’s life
embody the ideal of the
Renaissance man?
List of inquiry tasks:
Part 1 Background Knowledge:
Inquiry Task #1: Ensuring that you are interacting with the
knowledge gained from the Medici documentary, take notes on on
the nature of political, cultural, and artistic life in Florence during
the 1500's? What are some of the major elements of worldview
evident in the behavior of people at this time?
Inquiry Task #2: Drawing on the various series of mini-docs
starting from Rome to the fall of the Byzantine Empire, create a
historical timeline of the major events, developments both inside
and outside of Europe, leading up to the Renaissance.
An Expansion of Trade and
Commerce
During the Renaissance
powerful city states became the
center of trade within Europe,
connecting east with west,
south with north. It was through
this wealth that much of the art
and innovation that occurred
during the Renaissance
became possible.
Florence
Every age has a place that
becomes the center of creativity
and innovation which radiates
outwards, influencing and
inspiring others to re-imagine
the established order and usher
in a new way of living and doing
things. In the 1500s that place
was Florence.
Inquiry Task #3: Using the European Renaissance map, note the
political borders of mid-15th century Europe. Further noting the
political make-up of Europe today, what are the two biggest
similarities and differences between Renaissance and modern
Europe? How might Italy’s geographic location and political
makeup have contributed to an increase in trade and innovation?
Renaissance Politics:
Welcome to the Jungle
No other thinker and book more
embodies Renaissance politics
than Machiavelli's the Prince.
His book basically amounts to “a
how to manual on to get power
and keep it.” Machiavelli
understood that no leader could
survive for long without resorting
to the most brutal means at his
disposal. In Renaissance politics
there was no room for mortality
as only the most cunning,
heartless, and unethical
survived in the snake pit of
Italian politics.
Final Assessment
Now that we have journeyed to
the Italian Renaissance, as a
final summative assessment, in
short essay form, you will be
asked to respond to the
following questions:
i) What was the Italian
Renaissance?
ii) How was it possible that
Florence during the 16th
century became the center of
the biggest explosion of
creativity and innovation the
Western World has ever seen?
Inquiry Task #4: Drawing on the events outlined in your
timeline, rank in order of historical significance and provide a
justification for the three events/developments you think are most
responsible for fostering a Renaissance in Northern Italy.
Part 2 Character and Makeup of the Italian Renaissance:
Inquiry Task #5a: What can we learn about the worldview of the
Humanists based on Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola’s famous
passage from the Oration on the Dignity of Man?
Inquiry Task#5b: Drawing on what you have learned about the
Humanists, after watching Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, how do
you think Humanist thinkers would have interpreted the symbols
in this story? (half page reponse-provide justifications and
supporting details based on what you have learned)
Inquiry Task #6: Noting the impact of the printing press on
society, what do you think were the three greatest effects of this
invention on the Medieval world? Provide a justification for your
answer including the role it played in sparking an upheavel in the
Medieval order.
Inquiry Task #7: What are the three biggest differences between
the medieval paintings of Madonna and Child and the paintings
from the Renaissance? How does this reflect a differing
worldview?
Inquiry Task #8: How did the rise of Humanism lead to a
revolution in science and technology? How does Leonardo’s life
embody the ideals of the Renaissance man?
Inquiry Task #9: What major innovations in trade and changes in
the economy were most responsible for creating such wealth and
expansion of trade during this time?
Inquiry Task #10: What can Machiavelli's book The Prince tell
us about the realities of politics in Italian city states? Why might
he have come to the conclusions he did?
Venetian Trade Routes
Through a complex network of trading
houses, Venetian trade penetrated to all
parts of Europe.
So far we have looked at mainly
Florence as the central city in
the Renaissance, however other
northern Italian city states
contributed to the Renaissance
as well. Venice and Genoa were
also central to both the revival
of trade and the resulting flow of
money into the city that allowed
wealthy merchants to sponsor
the arts.
Inquiry Task #9: What major
innovations in trade and
changes in the economy were
most responsible for creating
such wealth and expansion of
trade during this time? (Draw
on pages 34-44 in your Our
Worldviews textbook to respond
to this question)
Florence
Why was it that a city of only 100,000
produced some of the most creative and
innovative works of art and inventions the
world has ever seen?
What was it about the make-up
of Florence that made this such
an innovative and creative
place. Using google earth, travel
to Florence, Italy, whose centre
remains very similar to
Renaissance Florence, and
consider some of the major
features of how the city is laid
out. What might be the
relationship between the
creation of new ideas and the
organization and planning of a
city?
Machiavelli
To this day the word “machiavellian” is
associated with gaining and keeping power
at all costs even if it means murder and
assassination.
What makes Renaissance
politics so interesting is how the
city states never had one king
as a ruler. Rather, rival
merchant families continually
vied for power.
Inquiry Task #10: What can
Machiavelli's book The Prince
tell us about the realities of
politics in Italian city states?
Why might he have come to the
conclusions he did?
Final Inquiry Task:
Choosing one of the topics
explored above (i.e. art,
commerce, science), create a
digital textbook similar to this
one (include brief summaries,
pictures, links to videos,
primary source material etc.).
Your textbook should respond
to the following questions:
i) What major developments or
innovations occurred in your
topic area?
ii) What were the conditions or
primary causes that led to
these developments?
iii) Present and explain one
example that powerfully
illustrates the key innovations
and changes in your topic
area.