15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
__NOTOC__
[[File:Florence_Cathedral.jpg|thumbnail|300px370px|left|The Duomo in Florence, Italy built during the Italian Renaissance]]The Italian Renaissance (1380s-1550s) was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisationcivilization. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture , and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli , and Raphael. The Renaissance’s days of glories occurred from approximately 1400-1500. However, several factors led to the end of the Renaissance and the end of one of the most creative periods in human history. ==The Renaissance==The term means ‘re-birth’. The renaissance was an effort to imitate the lost world of ancient Greece and Rome. The Italian, artists, writers and thinkers who all participated in the Renaissance, sought to create works that were the equal of the ancients, whom they regarded as the pinnacle of civilisation.<ref>Burke, Peter. ''The Italian Renaissance: Culture and Society in Italy Princeton'' (Princeton University Press, 1999), p. 6.</ref> The Renaissance unlike the Middle Ages, stressed the individual, reason, beauty and secular values. This outlook became known as Humanism and has had a profound impact on European society. The Renaissance not only produced great works of art but also resulted in dramatic change in the views of Europeans and a decisive move away from the world of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was in many ways to lay the groundwork for the rise of the modern world and especially ‘individualism and a secular outlook.’<ref>Burke, p.9.</ref> The Renaissance was able to occur because of the unique conditions that prevailed in Italy in the period from 1400 to 1500.
====What was the Renaissance?====The country term "Renaissance" or "rebirth" (or "''rinascita''" in Italian) was rich, because coined by Giorgio Vasari around 1550 in his book <i>The Lives of trade and industry and this meant that many wealthy the Artists</i>. The Renaissance started in the late 15th century as Italians were willing sought to act as patrons imitate the lost world of great artistsancient Greece and Rome and move away from gothic art. The Italian Peninsula was divided among a series , artists, writers, and thinkers who all participated in the Renaissance, sought to create works that were the equal of the ancients, whom they regarded as the pinnacle of city-statescivilization.<ref>RuggieroBurke, GuidoPeter. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691162409/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0691162409&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=3e8ba646ddb55793983df78fb425f39e The Italian Renaissance : Culture and Society in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento]'' (Cambridge Princeton University Press, 20151999), p. 6486.</ref> These were Republics The Renaissance, unlike the Middle Ages, stressed the individual, reason, beauty and secular values. This outlook became known as Humanism and they were tolerant societies, that placed has had a high value profound impact on creativity European society. The Renaissance not only produced great works of art but also resulted in a dramatic change in the arts views of Europeans and though. They were unique societies in a decisive move away from the Europe world of the timeMiddle Ages. Crucially, The Renaissance was in many ways to lay the groundwork for the influence rise of the church was limited in these city-states modern world and there was generally freedom of thought especially ‘individualism and expression. Indeed, many prominent Churchmen were active patrons of Renaissance artists, including Popesa secular outlook.’<ref>RuggieroBurke, p. 789.</ref>The Renaissance was able to occur because of the unique conditions that prevailed in Italy in the period from 1400 to 1500.
==Spanish Domination==When did the Italian Renaissance End?====[[File:Sackofrome.jpeg|thumbnail|Sack of Rome by Johannes Lingelbach|300px]]The Defining when the Italian city-states were very rich Renaissance occurred is somewhat difficult, but also vulnerable the most generous estimate goes from the 1380s to their larger neighboursthe 1550s. The kingdoms of Europe were becoming national states, with a unified government and standing armies. By the 16th centuryTypically, the Italian city-states looked much weaker that large kingdoms such as FranceRenaissance has been tied to fortunes of Florence and Rome (especially Florence). In At the 1490s, end of the French invaded Italy14th century, in order to conquer after the kingdom collapse of Naples. The Spanish Monarchy refused to allow the French Florentine and Roman economies due to dominate southern Italy <ref>Lopez, p. 67.</ref>. The French army eventually retreated from the Kingdom Great Famine of Naples after a plague decimated 13150-1317 caused by the army. HoweverLittle Ice Age, their invasion was to result in several decades the disruption of trade by war, between England and France , and Spain, for the control devastation of first Naples and later Italy. Over the following decades, Italy became a battleground for the first time in centuries.<ref>LopezBlack Plague, 112.</ref> This was to have a negative impact on the Renaissance. In 1527, the Spanish army sacked Rome and caused widespread loss of life and devastationFlorence began to rebound. Eventually, the Spanish, under Phillip II, established Spanish domination in Italy. The Italian city-states were still technically independent, but they were under de-facto Spanish control. The Spanish control resulted in a loss of political and individual freedom and this dealt a blow to These catastrophes actually helped start the Renaissance because it was initially driven by artists such as increasingly artists Petrarch and thinkers were unable Dante who began to create question the authority of the worked they wanted or Church because it had failed to freely express their own ideas and opinionsalleviate the suffering of Italians during these catastrophes.
</div>
====The Impact of the Counter-Reformation====[[File:Sackofrome.jpeg|thumbnail|390px|left|Sack of Rome by Johannes Lingelbach|370px]]The Reformation began in Germany and soon Protestant Churches were being established throughout Northern Europe. This cause a crisis in the Catholic Church in Italy and throughout Europe. Many feared that Italy would even turn Protestant. This caused a change in direction in the Catholic Church and led it to change its direction. In response to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church engaged in a series of reforms and other measures. These sought to make sure that Protestant teachings did not become popular. The response of the Catholic Church became known as the Counter-Reformation. One of the most important aspects of the Counter-Reformation was the increasing role of the Inquisition in Italian Society. Any person, believed to be sympathetic to Protestant ideas was arrested as a heretic by the Inquisition. The Inquisition also arrested those who have opinions and views that were contrary to the teachings of the Church. <ref>Mullett, Michael A., ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415189152/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415189152&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=2cee7968947f72dfe9e1cea5b8eafa6e The Catholic Reformation]'' (Routledge, London 1999)p. 56.</ref> The Counter-Reformation was to have a dramatic impact on artists, writers, and scientists’ in Italy. No longer could they discuss or express their views freely. They were afraid to create any daring works, in case they offended the Catholic Church. [[How did Savonarola influence the Reformation and Counter-Reformation?|Girolamo Savonarola]] rose to power in Florence and ruled between 1494-1498. He sought to reverse the influence of secularism and ruled Florence as began its economic and cultural decline. Rulers such as Savonarola forced artists to recommit to the church to avoid attracting the attention of the Inquisition. The threat of the Inquisition ensured that artists and writers tailored their works to be more suitably Catholic. The result of the Counter-Reformation was that Italian artists worked in an environment that was repressive. This led to Italy, falling behind the rest of Europe, intellectually and artistically. It should still be remembered that Italy still produced great artists and thinkers such as Galileo, but they were far fewer and less original. The old humanist tradition, of the Renaissance, was abandoned, during the Counter-Reformation.<ref>Mullet, p. 141.</ref> ====Conclusion====The Renaissance was one of the most important historical epochs, it produced a culture that created great works of art and provided the world, with the humanist view of life, which encouraged individualism and the use of reason. However, economic decline meant that there was less money for the arts and learning. The Spanish came to dominate the city-states and this meant that artists had less freedom of expression. Finally, the Counter-Reformation by enforcing Catholic Orthodoxy meant that artists, thinkers and writers were afraid to be as daring or original as they had been in the past.<ref>Mullet, p. 134.</ref> These factors led to the end of the Renaissance.{{MediawikiMediaWiki:Renaissance HistoryAmNative}}====References====<references/>
[[Category:Italian History]] [[Category:Renaissance History]] [[Category:European History]][[category:wikis]]
{{Contributors}}