Italian City-States' Rise to Power
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Questions and Answers

What factor contributed significantly to the wealth of the Italian city-states in the 1400s?

  • Manufacturing of everyday goods
  • Agricultural exports to Asia
  • Mining of precious metals
  • Control of trade connections (correct)

Which city-state is noted for its prominence in banking and trade by the end of the 1400s?

  • Venice
  • Florence (correct)
  • Milan
  • Rome

What was the primary role of Venetian merchants during the rise of city-states?

  • Building walled towns
  • Farming and agriculture
  • Control of a coastal trading empire (correct)
  • Military expansion

Which of the following statements accurately reflects the political situation in Italy during the 1300s?

<p>City-states often battled for control of resources. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant outcome of the Popes returning to govern Rome?

<p>They rebuilt the city with new ideas and increased wealth. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which major city-state allied with France to exert control over northern and central Italy?

<p>Milan (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of Italian city-states, what function did guilds serve?

<p>Groups of artisans and tradespeople in the same profession. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which region surrounding the city-states was essential for producing goods like olives, grapes, and wheat?

<p>Farmland (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of Italian scholars traveling to Christian monasteries and Muslim cities?

<p>They searched for classical writings to study. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What influence did Giotto have on Renaissance painting?

<p>He focused on realistic portrayals of people. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a major change introduced by Gutenberg's printing press?

<p>Metal type could be rearranged and reused. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following goods was highly valued by wealthy Italians during this period?

<p>Silks woven with gold threads. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What change did the arrival of the printing press bring to literature in Europe?

<p>Books became accessible in vernacular languages. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary method of book production before Gutenberg's printing press?

<p>Hand-copying by scribes. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did the ornamental features of the Gutenberg Bible reflect?

<p>The Renaissance's art and naturalism. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the main subject matter of classical texts sought by Italian scholars?

<p>Ethics, art, and architecture. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the introduction of printing presses affect literacy rates in Europe?

<p>It made reading more accessible and increased literacy. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did the hand-knotted carpets often represent for their owners?

<p>Their high status or prestige. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary factor that allowed the Medici family to gain power in Florence?

<p>Control of the wool manufacturing and banking industry (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which invention did Filippo Brunelleschi propose to aid in the construction of the dome?

<p>A crane and giant hoist (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did the plague impact Florence's population?

<p>Reduced the population from 120,000 to 50,000 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Italian term for the cathedral of Florence?

<p>Il Duomo (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What architectural feature characterizes the dome completed in 1436?

<p>It consists of an inner and outer shell (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role did Cosimo de Medici play in Florence after taking power in 1434?

<p>He became a patron of artists (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What major cultural movement is associated with Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries?

<p>The Renaissance (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did the architectural competition for the dome reveal about the city of Florence?

<p>Florence was willing to invest in grand architecture (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What led to the decline of guild power in Florence after the plague?

<p>The economic weakening of Florence (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which family member is known as 'the Magnificent' for his patronage of arts and learning?

<p>Lorenzo de Medici (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What significant influence did the Medici family have on Florence's cultural landscape?

<p>They promoted artistic achievement and scholarship (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What geographical areas bordered Florence, as mentioned in the content?

<p>Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a consequence of Florence's lack of a ruling dynasty?

<p>Greater citizen participation in governance (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the major contributions of the Renaissance to Europe?

<p>Reinvigoration of classical knowledge and ideas (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

City-State

A wealthy and independent political entity that controlled a city and its surrounding territory.

Renaissance

A period of great cultural and intellectual flourishing in Europe, beginning in the 14th century.

Banking

The practice of lending money and charging interest, a key factor in the wealth of Italian city-states.

Guilds

Organizations of skilled workers in a specific trade, powerful in Italian city-states.

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Trade Connections

The strategic control of trade routes and access to goods, vital to the prosperity of Italian city-states.

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Bazaars

A large outdoor market, particularly important for trade in luxury goods with Muslim cities along the Mediterranean.

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Florence

The influential city-state that became a center for banking, wool and silk manufacturing, and artistic innovation.

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Republic

A political system where power is held by elected representatives, often based on membership in guilds.

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Italian Renaissance

The period in European history marked by a renewed interest in classical learning, art, and culture, following the Middle Ages.

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Classical Revival

The revival and study of ancient Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and art during the Renaissance.

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Commission

An art project commissioned by a wealthy patron, often showcasing their wealth and status.

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Woodblock Printing

The use of ink and woodblocks to create prints, a technique originating in China and Korea.

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Metal Type Printing

A method of printing using movable individual letters made of metal, invented by Johannes Gutenberg.

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Gutenberg Bible

The first book printed by Johannes Gutenberg using metal type, containing the text of the Latin Bible.

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Vernacular Languages

The practice of writing in the language spoken by the common people of a region, rather than in Latin.

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Printing Workshop

A workshop or studio dedicated to the printing and selling of books.

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Access to Knowledge

The ability of the printing press to spread knowledge and ideas widely, leading to increased literacy and information sharing.

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Revolution in Print

The profound impact of the printing press on learning and communication, leading to the spread of information and ideas.

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Apprentices

Young people learning a trade or skill from a master artisan.

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Active Participation in Government

Central to Florence's government, citizens actively participated in city affairs instead of relying solely on a king or ruling dynasty.

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Florence's Cathedral

Florence's most important building, the cathedral, was under construction since 1296 and was a symbol of the city's wealth and ambition.

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The Plague

A devastating epidemic that reduced Florence's population and hampered construction of the cathedral.

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The Dome

The immense dome of Florence's cathedral, spanning a massive 138 feet across the base.

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The Dome Competition

A public competition held to find an architect who could solve the engineering challenges of building the cathedral's dome.

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Filippo Brunelleschi

A skilled architect and goldsmith who won the dome competition with his innovative designs.

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Structures Representing City Identity

Structures that symbolize a city's identity and are visible from afar, inspiring pride in the people.

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The Medici Family

The Medici family, known for their wealth and influence derived from wool manufacturing and banking.

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Patronage

Financial support given by wealthy patrons to artists and scholars.

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Cosimo de Medici

Cosimo de Medici, a patron of artists and architect of Florence's rise to power.

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Lorenzo de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici, grandson of Cosimo, known for his support of arts and learning, but also for consolidating Medici power.

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The Renaissance

The period in European history marked by a renewed interest in classical learning and culture, starting in the 14th and 15th centuries.

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Mass Printing

A system of printing that made books more accessible and helped spread knowledge.

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Study Notes

Italian City-States' Rise to Power

  • Italian city-states, kingdoms, and papal territories were fragmented in the 1300s
  • Conflicts arose over land, resources, and trade control
  • Wealthy families contended for power
  • City-states grew in size, power, and wealth, with Florence leading by the late 1400s

Expanding City-States

  • 1300s Italy was violent and unstable; farmland surrounded walled towns and cities
  • Cities raised armies for defense; vied for successful industries and resources
  • Stronger cities controlled larger territories
  • Italian merchants sustained trade with northern Europe, North Africa, and Asia
  • Imports of luxury goods (carpets, gems, tulips, horses, dyes) increased from Muslim bazaars

Powerful City-States

  • Venice, Milan, Rome, and Florence were key powerful city states
  • Venice built a trading empire along the Mediterranean and Constantinople
  • Milan, allied with France, took over parts of northern and central Italy
  • Rome's popes, temporarily ousted, returned and rebuilt with new ideas and trade wealth

Florence's Prosperity

  • Florence, a republic, was governed by guilds (e.g., lawyers, bankers, silk weavers had more power than stone masons)
  • Guilds had workshops with apprentices; those who mastered could open their own workshops
  • Florence relied on citizen participation for stability

Florence's Cathedral (Il Duomo)

  • Florence's cathedral, under construction since 1296, was the largest structure in the region
  • Plague in the mid-1300s devastated Italy and caused population loss in Florence
  • The dome, 138 feet across at its base and 170 feet off the ground, posed engineering challenges
  • Filippo Brunelleschi won a competition to build the Florence Cathedral's dome, designed with innovative machines (crane, hoist) in 1436

Medici Family

  • The Medici family controlled Florence's wool manufacturing and banking
  • Medici banks expanded (Venice, Rome, London)
  • Medici family (Cosimo, Lorenzo), gained strong control of the government; Cosimo was a patron of artists and established a public library (first in Western Europe since ancient times).
  • Lorenzo "the Magnificent" promoted arts and learning
  • Despite Medici support some citizens were unhappy with the centralized ruling family

European Renaissance

  • European Renaissance (1300s-1600s) had international roots
  • Scholars in Córdoba, Baghdad, and Timbuktu translated classical Greek writings for centuries
  • Italian scholars sought classical writings, even fragments, in Christian monasteries and Muslim libraries (Aristotle, Plato, Euclid, Ptolemy, Cicero)
  • Italian interest grew in moral philosophy, art, and architecture based on ancient models
  • Trade from Asian cities brought intricate ceramics and silks to Venice and other Italian cities

The Printed Word

  • China and Korea had used woodblock printing and movable type early
  • Spanish Muslims first in Europe used ancient Chinese papermaking techniques
  • Johannes Gutenberg (German inventor) developed and improved printing presses in the 1400s (metal type, quick copies)
  • Gutenberg Bible (Latin): 1,286 pages, about 42 lines per page, and ornate hand-painted illustrations, was remarkable and printed on more affordable metal presses in Europe.

Impact of Printing

  • Printing presses arrived in Italy in 1465
  • By 1500, 73 printing shops operated in Italy, producing books in vernacular languages (vs. Latin). This greater access to books helped promote literacy and the study of these languages for many citizens in Europe.
  • Communication and learning in Europe expanded greatly.

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Description

Explore the dynamic history of Italian city-states during the 1300s and their rise to power by the late 1400s. Discover the conflicts over land and trade that shaped the political landscape of regions like Florence, Milan, Rome, and Venice. Understand the factors that contributed to their wealth and influence in medieval Europe.

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