Key Figures of the Renaissance

Key Figures

• Marco Polo: Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled to Asia.
• The Medici Family: Powerful Florentine wool traders, active from the 13th to 17th centuries; patrons of the arts; developed modern bookkeeping.
• Petrarch: Italian humanist who considered classical Roman and Greek times a golden age superior to the "dark ages."
• Erasmus: Dutch humanist, considered the greatest scholar of the Northern Renaissance.
• Michelangelo: Italian artist commissioned by the Medici family; competed with da Vinci for commissions and projects by the Pope.
• Leonardo da Vinci: Italian artist and Renaissance figure famous for paintings and numerous accomplishments.

Key Terms

• The Silk Road: Trade routes connecting the Mediterranean to the Pacific, facilitating cultural exchange (religion, science, technology, etc.).
• The Crusades: Religious wars between Christians and Muslims, aimed at recapturing areas of the Middle East.
• City-States: Independent city and surrounding rural area; common political structure in Europe during the Renaissance
• Republic: Country where the people or their elected representatives hold power.
• Patron: Individual who financed or supported artistic projects.
• Doge: Highest official in the Venetian Republic, representing its sovereignty.
• Scuole: Social institutions, blending civic duty and religious beliefs; associations providing prayer, charity, and burial services.
• Constantinople: Important city in the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottomans, leading to diaspora of artists and intellectual's.
• Humanism: Emphasis on human potential and achievement; derived from Latin humanitas.
• Civic Humanism: Type of humanism emphasizing the responsibilities of educated citizens to improve society and the importance of public service.
• Renaissance Individual: Focus on individual dignity, potential, and the ability to shape one's life through effort and talent.
• Humanists: Believed in human reasoning to discover truth, emphasizing an open mind and curiosity; advocated for well-rounded development of mind, body, and spirit.

Renaissance Themes

• Rebirth: Revitalizing and rediscovering classical knowledge and ideals.
• Humanism: Emphasis on human potential and achievement.
• Rediscovery: Returning to historical sources and classical learning from antiquity.
• Individualism: Value and importance of individual expression, talent, and achievement.