Renaissance
A period of intense artistic and intellectual activity, said to be a 'rebirth' of Greco-Roman culture. Usually divided into an Italian Renaissance, from roughly the mid-fourteenth to mid-fifteenth century, and a Northern Renaissance 1400-1600. also means
City-states
amalgamation of many district political entities
a city that is completely independent from other cities, complete with its own form of government and laws but still shares cultural similarities with a larger civilization. -Florence was the key city-state
Medici family
most famous dynasty of those merchants and bankers who used their vast wealth to govern city states and to patronize illustrious creators in the arts; ruled Grand Duchy of Tuscany; family included: 2 popes, many cardinals, 2 queens of France
Leonardo da vinci
Italian painter, engineer, musician, and scientist. The most versatile genius of the Renaissance. He is best known for The Last Supper (c. 1495) and Mona Lisa (c. 1503).
Michelangelo Buonarroti
primarily a sculptor whose Piet� (Mary mourning the body of Christ lying across her lap) is considered a perfect marble carving
(1475-1564) Italian Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet; he sculpted the Pieta and the David, and he painted the
Petrarch
Father of Humanism." studied classical Greek and Latin. introduced emotion in "Sonnets to Laura"
first "modern" writer, he wrote sonnets in Italian, other works in Latin, and used writing to contemplate the ebb and flow of his life and the human conditio
Boccaccio
A student of Petrarch, he was also a pioneer of humanist studies. Authored "Decameron."; satirized society and the clergy with entertaining tales that reflected upon the human condition
Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527) Italian historian, statesman, and political philosopher of the Renaissance. His greatest work is The Prince, a book of political advice to rulers in which he describes the methods that a prince should use to acquire and maintain political powe
Desiderius Erasmus
Dutch Christian humanist and theologian who was the leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe although his criticisms of the Church led to the Reformation, he opposed violence and condemned Martin Luther. he wrote The Praise of Folly, worked for Frob
Leon Battista Alberti
studied ancient roman buildings and used their principles of design to build cathedrals
15th century Florentine architect who said " Men can do all things if they well
Lorenzo Valla
leading Italian Renaissance humanist most famous for On pleasure, about the epicureans
Renaissance Humanist who used his knowledge of Latin to show that the Donation of Constantine was a forgery.
Thomas More
English statesman and humanist, who opposed Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and was imprisoned and beheaded, He was a English humanist that contributed to the world today by revealing the complexities of man. He wrote Utopia, a book that rep
Johann Gutenberg
German printer and European pioneer in the use of movable type; his invention spurred the Protestant Reformation by spreading ideas quickly such as Luther's 95 Theses, it increased literacy (book no longer had to be handwritten and because they were cheap
Albrecht D�rer
master artist of the era; mathematician who was painting landscapes and self portraits at 13
German artist who lived from 1471-1528. Famous for his woodcuts and copper engravings. Influenced by Venetian artists, he was versed in classical teachings and hu
Elizabethan Age
It was the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the flowering of the English literature and poetry
1558-1603. Encouraged expansion, exploration and colonization in the New World, especially after England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Muscovy
secularism
a belief that life was more than a preparation for the hereafter
Christian Humanism
A branch of humanism associated with northern Europe. Like their Italian counterparts, the Christian humanists closely studied classical texts. However, they also sought to give humanism a specifically Christian content. Christian humanists like Desideriu
Baldassare Castiglione
The Book of The Courtier. Described the ideal of a Renaissance man who was well versed in the Greek and Roman classics, and accomplished warrior, could play music, dance, and had a modest but confident personal demeanor. It outlined the qualities of a tru
Humanism
a literary and educational movement that was truly modern in that a class of non clerical writers concerned themselves with secular issues but based their answers to current problems on the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and Romans
Studied the Latin classic
Individualism
pleasure and accomplishment supersede the medieval dedication to the cloistered life of the clergy
Donatello
created the first free standing bronze statue of a human created in Europe since antiquity
Italian sculptor renowned as a pioneer of the Renaissance style with his natural, lifelike figures, such as the bronze statue David.
Filipino Brunelleschi
Renaissance architect famous for II Duomo- the first dome built since ancient times in Florence)
Architect who won a contest to build the new cathedral of Florence
Raphael
1483-1520 Short but productive life. Worked in Florence and Rome. Well-known for Madonnas, humanized portrayals of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus. Painted frescoes in Vatican Palace - espec. The School of Athens & The Triumph of Religion - reflect ar
Mannerism
transition between the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the baroque era; art of the reformation and counter reformation focused on new ideas and how to express them
Artistic movement against the Renaissance ideals of symetry, balance, and simpl