S2 History 1. The Renaissance PDF

Good Hope School S2 History 1. The Renaissance A. What was the Renaissance? B. Features of the Renaissance C. Causes of the Renaissance D. Major Achievements of the Renaissance A. What was the Renaissance?...

Good Hope School S2 History 1. The Renaissance A. What was the Renaissance? B. Features of the Renaissance C. Causes of the Renaissance D. Major Achievements of the Renaissance A. What was the Renaissance? ‘Renaissance’ means “rebirth” in French. The Renaissance was a cultural and intellectual movement from around the late 14th century to early 17th centuries. The Italian Peninsula was regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance. B. Features of the Renaissance: 1. Revival of the ancient Greco-Roman civilisation Renewed interest in the culture of Ancient Greece and Rome 2. The rise of humanism Europe became more (though not completely) secular (less God-centred) Greater emphasis on rationality, independent thinking, scientific method 3. Challenging tradition As a result of the rise of humanism, traditional ideas that had been taught and held by the Church for centuries, were challenged Above: City of Florence New ideas and inventions 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 1  Raphael: School of Athens C. Causes of the Renaissance 1. The Black Death and the Decline of feudalism in Western Europe In the 14th century, the Black Death swept across Europe o As a result of the huge depopulation, many lands in Europe became empty o Labour became scarce; manors became unsustainable o Lords could no longer control their peasants As feudalism began to collapse, many rural peasants moved to the growing cities and found new employment and gathered wealth o Improving living and social conditions allowed many to pursue other interests such as art and learning The Black Death 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 2  2. Increased interaction between the East and the West Background o During the Islamic Golden Age of the 9th – 14th centuries, the Arab civilisation was leading the world in areas such as science, mathematics, and philosophy. Crusades o Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Church waged a series of campaigns, known as the Crusades, against the Muslim Arabs in the East in order to recapture Jerusalem. o Trade and communications between the West and the East increased. o As a result, many of the learnings of the Arabs, both new and old, were brought back to Europe. Fall of the Eastern Roman Empire o After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Greek scholars of the east escaped to Italy. o This helped the Italians greatly for reviving their interests and knowledge of the ancient classics. 3. Growth of cities Thanks to Italy’s superior geographical location, many Italian cities profited hugely from the flourishing trade between Europe and the East (such as India, Arabia, and Persia) o Examples include: Venice, Genoa, Florence, Milan o Many of the wealthy merchants became sponsors of the arts. For example, the Medici family of Florence. 4. Rise of Universities and intellectuals Universities and Intellectuals o During the late Middle Ages, many universities were built Printing Technology o Gutenberg invented a movable type printing press o The invention dramatically improved the spread of ideas as books are now easier to circulate and harder to ban. 5. Declining influence of the Church 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 3 D. Major Achievements of the Renaissance The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci a. Art a. Paintings o More diverse themes than medieval paintings (religion was still a common theme, however, other themes could be found as well) o More realistic and three-dimensional o New techniques such as shadowing and perspective were widely used b. Sculptures o The Bible remains the main source of inspiration for Renaissance sculptors o However, they were more realistic o Facial expression and body movements were important aspects of Renaissance sculptures, more life-like ❖ Famous examples of Renaissance artists (Refer to textbook p.14 for more information) o Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519): Last Supper, Mona Lisa o Michelangelo (1475 – 1564): The Pieta, the Creation of Adam o Raphael (1483 – 1520): The Sistine Madonna, The School of Athens 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 4 b. Architecture Background: ⮚ The Renaissance was the revival of Classical Antiquity. Therefore, many of the architectural styles were heavily influenced by Greco-Roman architecture. ⮚ Examples: Tall columns and large, round domes ⮚ Very different from medieval architecture (Gothic, Norman, Romanesque) Medieval Architecture Renaissance Architecture Pointed arches Roman semi-circular arches / rounded arches Tall pointed towers Domes 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 5  Flying buttress Tall pillars / columns / colonnades Stained glass windows Pediments c. Astronomy Medieval times Renaissance Geocentrism – the Earth is the centre of the universe Heliocentrism – Copernicus believed that the Sun and other planets move around the Earth. The Church was the centre of the universe. The theory was also stated that the Earth was God’s specially created supported by Galileo after he carried out “centre of the universe”. experiments and observed the universe with telescopes. 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 6 D. Medical Science Medieval times Renaissance Causes of diseases God’s punishment Spread of bacteria Study of human bodies The Church explained the scientific Application of scientific inquiry through theories and prohibited the observation and research, including dissection of dead bodies dissection and study of dead bodies (e.g., investigating skeletons, organs and muscles) Examples of scientists: Fracastoro, Vesalius 24-25 S2 History Term 1 1. Renaissance Page 7