Renaissance
means "rebirth", an era which emphasizes education, art and critical thinking.
city-state
a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.
Florence
Italian city-state was the birthplace of the Renaissance, center of Renaissance banking
Milan
Italian city-state- manufactured weapons and silk in Renaissance Italy
Venice
Italian city-state- port city and manufactured glass in Renaissance Italy
Medici Family
rich banking family in Florence and controlled the government also.
Humanism
a way of thinking and learning that stresses the importance of human abilities and actions.
Greek and Roman Culture & Achievements
Humanists studied these cultures of the past during the Renaissance.
realism
idea to paint and sculpt subjects realistically. It involves a number of techniques that make the subjects and background look like they would in real life.
anatomy
study of the structure of the human body
perspective
An artistic technique that creates the appearance of three dimensions on a flat surface.
Leonardo da Vinci
Italian Renaissance artist that painted The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, he was also an engineer, architect, sculptor, and scientist.
Mona Lisa
painting by Leonardo da Vinci of a woman
Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci painting of Jesus and his disciples.
Renaissance Man
a person with many talents or areas of knowledge. Leonardo da Vinci was described as this during the Renaissance.
Michelangelo
Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, and architect; famous works include the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the sculpture of the David
David
statue by Michelangelo of the male Biblical hero
Pieta
sculpture by Michelangelo representing Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ.
Sistine Chapel
the church in the Vatican where Michelangelo painted the ceiling
fresco painting
The art of painting on fresh, moist plaster with pigments dissolved in water
Botticelli
Italian Renaissance painter who painted members of the Medici family and religious figures including Jesus' Mother Mary.
Johannes Gutenberg
Inventor of the printing press, Gutenberg Bible and movable type.
printing press
Renaissance invention; made possible the mass production of printed books and other texts,; increased literacy.
Vernacular
Everyday language of ordinary people. Gutenberg's printing press was copied this way.
Machiavelli
Italian Renaissance writer and politician; wrote a book called "The Prince", where he argued for absolute power of rulers. "It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.
The Prince
Written by machiavelli, described that power is more important, "better to be feared than loved
architecture
The art and science of building. During the Renaissance used Greek and Roman architecture.
il Duomo
Cathedral in Florence, Italy - Example of Renaissance architecture
St. Peter's Basilica
Church in the Vatican City inside of Rome - Example of Renaissance architecture.
Copernicus
Renaissance astronomer; first person to state that Earth and the other planets travel around the sun.
Kepler
Renaissance astronomer; explained how the planets travel around the sun.
Galileo
Renaissance astronomer; provided evidence that the sun is the center of the solar system; conflicted with the church and placed under house arrest.
Newton
Renaissance astronomer and physicist, showed how gravity controls the motion of the planets around the sun as well as the motion of the Moon.
Marco Polo
Italian explorer who wrote about his travels to Central Asia and China.