The Renaissance

(rebirth, reawakening or revival)

A transition from medieval to modern times. It was a glorious finale to the Middle Ages, ushering in the bright dawn of the modern era.

The European nations, already strengthened in

their faith in God, took a new

interest in the almost forgotten

cultures of Greece and

Rome, leading them to new

achievements in arts, sciences

and humanities.

Italy, Birthplace of the Renaissance

1. Italy is located halfway between the Middle East and Western Europe.

2. The Italian were closer to the ancient Romans in blood and language than other European nations.

3. The universities in Italy

4. The intellectual atmosphere

Humanism

(14th century)

Latin humanitas meaning “culture”

It means the study of classical Greek

and Latin writings. Humanism was a

cultural movement for the revival of Greek and Latin knowledge, the glorification of

human achievements and

the appreciation of classical culture.

Great Patrons of

Humanism

Pope Pius II, a benevolent patron of humanism, was a humanist scholar before he was elected to the papacy.

The most famous of the humanist patrons was

Lorenzo de Medici, known as Lorenzo

the Magnificent. He befriended and

supported many artists and

scholars, spent vast sums of money for

valuable manuscripts and

adorned his palace with classical

statues.

Francesco Petrarch, “Father of Humanism” He is educated for law but devoted his life to literature, he loved classical studies. He was able to build a valuable collection of 200 classical works and wrote many beautiful Italian sonnets in honor of the woman he loved, Laura.

Giovanni Boccaccio, the Storyteller. His

best known work was the

Decameron(Ten Nights), which he

wrote to entertain. It consists of 100 stories recounted

on 10 nights by 10 young men and

women who fled Florence during a

plague.

Niccolo Maciavelli, Founder of the New science of Politics. His best writing was a political book titled The Prince. This book revolutionized the political ideas of his time and laid the foundation of a new political science. Many rulers and politicians have been impressed by Machiavelli’s political philosophy.

Spread of Renaissance Humanism

Rudolf Agricola, a

famous professor at

the University

of Heidelberg, was the first to propagate

humanism outside

Italy.

Desiderius Erasmus, a great Dutch scholar, linguist and theologian. His bet known work was In Praise of Folly, which ridiculed the follies of society and the Church. This book contributed to the reformation of the Catholic Church.

Thomas More, popularized

humanism in England. His

greatest work was Utopia, the story of an ideal state. As chancellor of

England, he encouraged the

study of the humanities at

Oxford.

Humanist influence of the

renaissance education

Renaissance education stressed the ideal of a well-rounded or “universal” man.. This educational ideal was clearly expressed by the Italian humanist-noble-man Baldassare di Castiglione in his widely read book, The Courtier, which portrays a perfect gentlemen as one who possesses the combined qualities of warrior and scholar and who appreciates art, poetry and music.

The Rise of

Libraries

The humanistic movement inspired popes, kings, merchant-princes and scholars to build libraries. Famous among these libraries till the present time are:

Laurential library in Florence

Ambrosian Library in Milan

St. Mark’s Library in Venice

Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris

Vatican Library in Vatican City

Renaissance Painting and

artists

The three great titans of Renaissance painting were:

Leonardo da Vince- the oldest, was a man of versatile talents. His two famous paintings were “The Last Supper”, which shows the last dinner of Christ, and “Mona Lisa”, which portrays a woman with a bewitching smile

Michelangelo- was great in both

painting and sculpture. His

genius is shown in his exquisite

painting on the ceiling of the

Sistine Chapel which tells the

biblical story from the Creation to the

Great Deluge. These paintings

show his marvelous knowledge of

human anatomy.

Raphael- the youngest of the trio, was the greatest painter of the Renaissance. He was called “perfect painter” because of the classical harmony and exquisite symmetry of his art. His masterpiece was the “Sistine Madonna”, which has been acclaimed as the greatest painting in the world

Renaissance Sculpture and

sculptors

Niccolo Pisano of Pisa- was the “Father of Renaissance Sculpture.” He excelled in making the sarcophage as shown by his beautiful marble bas-reliefs depicting scenes from biblical stories in the pulpits of the cathedrals of Pisa and Sienna.

Lorenzo Ghiberti- exquisitely

carved bronze doors at the

baptistry of the Cathedral of

Florence and deeply

impressed Michaelangelo,

who said that they were

“worthy to be the doors of

Paradise”

Michaelangelo- the most famous of all Renaissance sculptors, whose statue of David is regarded as one of the finest masterpieces of sculpture. His greatest sculptural work is La Pieta, the most renowned statue in the world. It is an exquisite statue of Christ after His Crucifixion.

Renaissance architecture

and architects

St. Peter’s Basilica- is the largest church in the world. Its majestic dome was designed by Michaelangelo.

Filippo Brunelleschi- was the “Father of Renaissance Architecture”.

He designed the famous pointed

dome of the Cathedral of

Florence and the Pitti Palace

in Florence.

Renaissance Music

Giovanni Palestrina- the “Prince of Music.” The numerous compositions of this gifted musician are still used in Catholic services today.

Oratorio- one type of written music. A religious drama set to music

The Renaissance also gave birth to two forms of secular music:1. The madrigal, a composition of two

or more voices accompanied by several instruments

2. The ayre, a composition for solo voice accompanied by a flute

Effects of the

Renaissance

1. The Renaissance enriched world civilization, particularly in the realm of fine arts, philosophy, literature and education.

2. The Renaissance sparked the intellectual revolution.

3. The Renaissance contributed to the geographical discoveries and maritime exploration of the 15th and 16th centuries.

4. The Renaissance fostered the growth of national states – England, France, Spain and Portugal.

5. Finally, the Renaissance paved the way for the way for the religious revolution or Reformation.

The end