Renaissance Worldview Case Study PDF

CASE STUDY ONE How Did the Exchange of Ideas and Knowledge During the Renaissance Shape the Worldviews of the Western World?...

CASE STUDY ONE How Did the Exchange of Ideas and Knowledge During the Renaissance Shape the Worldviews of the Western World? What do you think the painting at the left, Michelangelo Showing a Pupil the Belvedere Torso, is about? The painter, Gérôme, is showing an imaginary scene between the great Italian artist Michelangelo and his Michelangelo Showing student. The Belvedere torso is part of an ancient Greek sculpture that a Pupil the Belvedere Torso, was discovered in the 1400s and inspired Michelangelo to rethink Jean-Léon Gérôme, how artists could portray the human body to show its fullness and oil on canvas, 1849 its movement. It was one of those moments in history that changed the way people viewed the world. It was a key event in the Renaissance: a historical development of the Renaissance. period that originated in Of all the time periods in Europe’s history, the Renaissance, which Italy in the 14th century, stretched from about 1350 CE to 1600 CE, is one of the most notable known for the revival of eras. From our viewpoint in the 21st century, we look back at this classical art, architecture, literature, and learning period that began more than 650 years ago as the time when the modern Western worldview began to develop. CE:Common Era, referring to a way of numbering The word Renaissance comes from the French word renaître, which years, accepted commonly means “to be born again.” This renaissance or rebirth refers to a period throughout the world, of innovation based on the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman numbering from the birth thinking and the thinking of other civilizations Europeans came of Jesus Christ into contact with. Many of the ideas found in these documents had era: a historical time period been lost or ignored in western Europe for nearly 1000 years. When European scholars rediscovered these classical documents that Muslim and Jewish scholars and the Roman Catholic Church had preserved and studied, they discovered new ideas and ways of looking at the world. Europe: 1st Century Through the 16th Century 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1–4 centuries Roman Empire; 4–15 centuries Byzantine Empire; 4–14 centuries Middle Ages; 14–16 centuries Renaissance Social Worldview systems Worldviews Geography Affects the Way Are Shaped a Society Operates by These Factors Worldview: Worldview: Values and Values and Beliefs Beliefs Political Contact Culture Ideas and and economic with other knowledge systems groups 12  As you learn about the Renaissance in this case study, you will see how the worldviews of communities and individuals of that historical period changed as contact with other cultures introduced new ideas and knowledge. You will see how the people lived and the influences that shaped their worldviews. You will learn about individual citizens of the time whose contributions to their societies helped shape worldviews and spread the new ideas throughout Europe. Finally, you will see how the Renaissance worldview relates to today’s Western worldview. C h a p t e r 1 : W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? Chapter 2: How Did the Ideas of the Italian Renaissance Spread Throughout Europe? C h a p t e r 3 : H o w D i d t h e We s t e r n Wo r l d v i e w Grow Out of the Renaissance? THINK ABOUT IT Today, some people believe that Canada is an example of a society SKILLS CENTRE Use the Skills Centre at undergoing change and adopting Turn to How to Organize the back of the text for new values and beliefs. As a class, Information in the Skills reference whenever you brainstorm to develop a list of values Centre for more need more information and beliefs that you think represent information to help you about a certain skill. organize your questions In this case, you can Canada. Discuss whether any of these and previous knowledge. turn to the Skills Centre ideas suggest Canada is a Renaissance and find information society, representing a flourishing of on ways to organize new ideas and a rebirth of knowledge information. or showing new ways of looking at the world. You are now beginning your study of a new topic: worldview and the Renaissance. Jot down questions that you have about worldview and the Renaissance. Also include any knowledge you already have about these topics. Use an organizer, such as a web or a chart, to organize your information. 13 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 Each century is a period of 100 years. The 1st century (the first What Were the Factors That Shaped 100 years) stretched from the years 1 through 99. the Renaissance Worldview? The time period from 1300 to 1399 is called The Renaissance began to flourish in the 14th century in the cities of the 14th century. Any year in that range is the Italian Peninsula in southern Europe. Developments in literature, part of the 14th century. painting, sculpture, architecture, and education were all supported by the changing worldview and the great wealth of Italy. The factors that led to the Renaissance worldview were also the basis for today’s This text uses the Western worldview. customary way of In this chapter, you will explore information to help you answer presenting Common these questions: Era dates, not including the abbreviation CE. * () +* How () Did +* Other () +* Civilizations Set () +* the Stage () for the +* () Renaissance +* () in Europe? + Dates referring to years Before Common Era * () +* () +* () How +* Did the() +* () Renaissance +* Begin? () +* () + will include the How Did the Social Structure During the Middle Ages abbreviation BCE. * ()+* ()+* () Reflect+* () +* the Worldview of () +* the Time? () +*() + Focus on Inquiry: How Might the Black Death Have * ()+* () +* () Changed +* the Way() +* People () Viewed +* the () World? +* ()+ A graphic like this * ()+* () How Did +* the () Growth of+* Cities() +* Contribute () +* () to a Changing +* () Worldview? + introduces each chapter, showing what you will * ()+* How () Did the+* () City-State +* of () Florence +* Reflect () +* () the Renaissance +* () Worldview? + explore as you work * ()+* ()How+* () Did Venice +* () Contribute +* to the () Italian+* () +* Renaissance? () + through the chapter. * ()+* () +* How Did () Genoa +* Help () Shape +* the () +* Renaissance () +* Worldview? () + Byzantine Empire: the Western and Eastern Empires, 4th Century eastern part of the Roman Empire in existence from the 4th to 15th centuries N E W S Atlantic Ocean Two thousand years ago, most of Europe was part of the Roman Empire. In the WESTERN (ROMAN) 4th century, to prevent civil EMPIRE war, the empire was divided ria B l ac k Sea Ad into two. The eastern part tic Se became the Byzantine a Empire, which lasted a thousand years, from the Medi 4th to 15th centuries. The terr EASTERN an western part was still called ea n (BYZANTINE) the Roman Empire, but it Sea EMPIRE quickly broke apart into small separate states. Both empires were 0 1000 km predominantly Christian. 14  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? Worldview Investigation Worldview Many times in Canada’s history, the worldview of a group of people has Investigations are group activities that been affected by contact with other people. Think about some of those introduce each chapter. times: First Nations traded with other First Nations; French and English They set the context traded with First Nations and Inuit and settled in their territories; Chinese and get you thinking workers came to North America to build railways, such as the Canadian about the big ideas that Pacific, that stretched across the country; Ukrainians immigrated to will be introduced in the Canada and settled among a mix of other immigrants; war brides came chapter. For instance, in this first Worldview from Europe to Canada after World War II and met a new society. What Investigation, you are other stories of contact come to mind? asked to think about Choose an example from your life experience that illustrates how your personal situations and values, beliefs, or attitudes changed upon meeting a new situation, a new events in Canada’s group of people, or maybe an influential person. It could be something history when worldview (values and beliefs) like the experiences you had as you moved to junior high and a new class. were affected by Or it might be something like relating your experiences after joining the meeting other groups school band and travelling to new schools or cities. If you wish, you or individuals. In this could choose to relate an example from Canadian history. chapter, you will learn Tell the story to members of your class, using the Think–Pair–Share how worldviews in method (see below). Include what happened before contact, during Europe changed as they met new contact, and after contact between the two groups of people. The story knowledge and ideas should explain how the worldviews of each group changed because of from other societies. contact between them. The Renaissance is also a story about contact among people. In this chapter, you will explore how contact with other groups is one of three factors that shaped the worldview in western Europe. Think–Pair–Share SKILLS CENTRE The Think–Pair–Share method for discussing ideas works well with Turn to How to any size of group. It can be used to share thoughts in answer to a Communicate Ideas question or details of a topic under discussion. and Information in the Skills Centre for more Work through these three steps: information to help you THINK — Think about the topic or answers to a question participate in this individually for two to three minutes. discussion. PAIR — Discuss the topic or suggested answers with one other person for two to three minutes. SHARE — Discuss the topic or answers with all members of your group. This is best done in groups of four to six people. You can also share with the whole class. 15 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 How Did Other Civilizations Set the Stage for the Renaissance in Europe? Middle Ages: a historical During the time period known as the Middle Ages in Europe, many period in Europe stretching civilizations flourished in other parts of the world. In the Americas, from the fall of the Roman the great Mayan Empire had reached its peak and the Incan and Aztec Empire in the 4th century to the beginning of the Empires were beginning to flourish. Empires in Africa from the 8th to Renaissance in the 17th centuries, such as the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires, were 14th century centres of learning, trade, and wealth. But it was the empires in Asia and northern Africa that would have the most impact on Europe’s moving out of the Middle Ages and into its Renaissance. The word Europe has two possible origins. One is from the Greek The Silk Road word Europa, meaning From about 300 BCE, when the Roman Empire extended into what is “broad face.” Another now the Middle East, people in the West had welcomed exotic goods is from the ancient from as far away as China and Japan. These items, such as silks, Akkadian word erebu, which meant “to go glassware, paper, or spices such as pepper and cinnamon, were down” or “to set.” extremely rare, moving from trader to trader as they travelled on foot To the Akkadians, who or by caravan along a network known as the Silk Road. Movement of lived in what is now goods went both ways. Inventions such as the irrigation waterwheel, Iraq, Europe was in the invented in the region around Damascus, moved in both directions, west, the lands where the sun set. The Silk Road Venice Genoa Black Sea Ca sp Rome Constantinople ian Sea Cordoba Med iterr Damascus Tehran anea n Sea Tyre Baghdad Cairo Main routes Mecca ARABIAN Secondary routes PENINSULA Islamic Empire 750 CE 0 2000 km 16  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? being found in the far western reaches of the Islamic civilization and as far east as Cathay (China). Apples developed in central Asia moved I wonder … what would to both the East and the West. Oranges, originally from China, made it have been like to be a trader along the Silk Road? their way to the Mediterranean world; grapes from the Mediterranean made their way to China. Most often, items passed through so many hands that their original source was not known. But wherever these items came from, Europeans desired them. These consumer demands I wonder … what spurred many people to become traders, increasing the links of the countries today lie along the route of the Silk Road? societies along the Silk Road. Not all the things that moved along the Silk Road were good; disease also passed from caravan to caravan. Possibly the most famous example is the Black Death that came from central Asia to the Mediterranean. The Black Death resulted in the deaths of millions of people throughout Europe and Asia. Perhaps more important than the material goods that moved along the Silk Road were ideas and knowledge. Understandings of religion, science, technology, philosophy, music, and mathematics passed from society to society along the Silk Road. Above all, there was a sharing of worldviews. Family of Marco Polo travelling by camel caravan, Catalan Atlas, 1375 N E W Tashkent S Dunhuang Beijing Sea of Samarkand Kashgar Japan JAPAN Xi’an Nara CATHAY Lahore East China Sea Delhi 17 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 The Role of Islamic Civilization astrolabe: an instrument After its beginnings in the 7th century, the Islamic faith spread used to measure the quickly from its beginning in the Arabian Peninsula. It moved locations of stars and westward across North Africa. By 750, what is now Spain was under planets as an aid to navigation Muslim control. To the east, Islam spread through what is now Iraq and Iran, into India, and continued to the islands of Indonesia. The centre of the Islamic world was at the crossroads of the Silk Road trading routes. All trade between the Far East and Europe was controlled by Muslim middlemen. This brought great wealth to the Muslim world. More importantly, it made the Muslim Empires centres of learning during Europe’s Middle Ages. The Muslim faith promoted scholarship and inquiry, and scholars collected knowledge and documents from the then-known world. Libraries across the empire, in centres such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba, preserved these documents and those of Islamic scholars. Islamic scientists and scholars pursued knowledge in many areas. They took mathematical ideas from India and refined them into the understanding of numbers known today. They studied astronomy and added to the understanding of the movement of planets. They used their understanding of astronomy to invent aids to navigation, such as the astrolabe. Scientists, such as Ibn Sina (980–1037), studied diseases and the human body and wrote medical texts that were used for hundreds of years throughout the world. Wise Men and Astronomers in the Galata [Turkey] Observation Tower, Ottoman miniature, 16th century. Knowledge collected by Islamic astronomers through the Middle Ages and into the 1500s was used by European scientists. REFLECT AND RESPOND 1. Think about how difficult it was to move trade goods from China to Italy in the Middle Ages. Compare the transportation of those trade goods to how they would be transported today. 2. Explain how the geographic location of the Islamic Empire made it a centre for learning and discovery from 750 to 1100. Use the map of the Silk Road to help you answer. 3. Suppose you would like to research the origin of a silk or cotton shirt. List all the methods by which you might be able to gain information about it. How might 18 this availability of information about so many things affect worldview?  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? How Did the Renaissance Begin? At the beginning of the 1300s, Europe was still very much a society of the Middle Ages. But change was slowly beginning to occur. Contact with other cultures was increasing and the exchange of ideas was spurring change. By the end of the 1300s, in Italy especially, change was happening more rapidly and society was moving into a new period, later called the Renaissance. To better understand the past, historians assign specific titles or labels to certain eras. For example, the time span in western Europe between 1350 and 1600 is referred to as the Renaissance. The period of time before the Renaissance and after the downfall of the western Roman Empire is referred to as the Middle Ages or the Medieval Period, since it is in the middle or in between two major historical times in Europe, stretching from the 4th century to the 14th century. During the Middle Ages, most Christian Europeans shared a religious worldview that God was the centre of human existence. The beliefs of the poor presented a worldview in which they accepted a harsh, short life on Earth, believing they would be rewarded after death by going to heaven. Wealthier people also lived life with religion as the central point of their beliefs. They looked to the afterlife and donated money and property to the Roman Catholic Milan Cathedral, Italy, Church, hoping that God would reward them with heaven. constructed 1386 to 1418. The art and architecture of the Middle Ages were influenced by The importance of religion religion because almost every European thinker and artist worked for to life in the Middle Ages and Renaissance is shown the Church. Rarely did anyone disagree with the Church’s ideas about by the grandeur of the world or the way people should lead their lives. No one questioned European cathedrals. the importance of religion. Church officials were seen as God’s chosen representatives. The head of the Church, the pope, was a powerful I wonder … what man, ruling both the Roman Catholic Church and the wealthy papal do buildings and state, with Rome at its centre. He had a major influence on kings and structures show about their kingdoms, as well as on people’s beliefs and actions. There were the historical periods often power struggles between the pope and the monarchs. when they were built? In times past, historians often referred to the time period of the Middle Ages as the Dark Ages in Europe. Thinking has changed. Historians now recognize that since Europe had divided into many small states, developments were occurring at the local level rather than on the grand scale of empires such as the Roman Empire. At the same time, though, large civilizations flourished in other parts of the world: Chinese, Mongol, and Indian cultures in Asia, Songhai and other cultures in Africa, Islamic cultures in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, and Mayan and Aztec cultures in Mexico and Central America. 19 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 Examine the map of Europe, which was drawn in 1335, Opicinus de Canistris Map of Europe during the Middle Ages. Opicinus de Canistris, the mapmaker, used both human figures and non-human figures to represent different parts of Europe. What does this map show about how people of this time period viewed the world? The Crusades crusade: a campaign During the late Middle Ages, armies from Europe organized crusades in favour of a cause; to try to recapture areas of the Middle East that were under Muslim historically, a medieval control. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all considered these areas Christian military expedition to recover the holy because that is where their religions had their roots. Judaism, Holy Land from the Muslims Christianity, and Islam all grew out of the same religious history. Each group at the time wanted control of the area. Christians Judaism: the religion of the Jews, based on a belief believed that control of the Holy Land should be in Christian hands. in one God, as told in the History shows that the Christian control of the Holy Land was Hebrew Bible, referred short-lived. However, the results for Europe were huge. Entire armies to as the Old Testament by Christians, and the travelling through the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, teaching of rabbis and meeting up with the Islamic world, were exposed to a way of life very different from their own. Thousands of religious pilgrims — men, Christianity: the religion of the Christians, based on a women, and children — also visited the holy sites and met different belief in one God, as told societies. Europeans became more aware of other cultures. They in the Old Testament of the encountered new ideas and knowledge, as well as new foods, spices, Bible and the teaching of Jesus in the New Testament cloth, and other exotic goods. Travellers returned to their homes with new ideas and attitudes that led to new ways of thinking about Islam: the religion of the their own lives and their own societies. Muslims, based on a belief in one God, based on the teachings of Muhammad as revealed in the Koran (Qur’an) pilgrim: a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious purposes 20  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? This map indicates Crusades to the Holy Land, 1095–1291 the main travel routes London N Europeans used during the Crusades. Control of Atlantic Paris the disputed areas went Ocean W E back and forth between KINGDOM S Christians and Muslims. OF FRANCE Venice Marseille Genoa k Sea B l ac Rome Constantinople Mediterranea n Antioch Route of Crusades In the Middle Ages, Byzantine Empire Sea HOLY most Western Europeans LAND belonged to the Roman Disputed area Jerusalem Catholic Church. There 0 1000 km were no other Christian denominations. The Crusades occurred over hundreds of years. The relationships among Christians and Muslims developed in various ways during periods of peace and periods of war. REFLECT AND RESPOND 1. What were key factors that led to the beginning of the Renaissance? 2. Identify two different ways in which religion affected the worldview at this time. 3. Many factors help to shape your identity. Think of an experience you have had in which you encountered different ways of doing things, different architecture, different foods, or perhaps different music. How did ideas about yourself and the world change because of this experience? 4. During the Middle Ages, wealthy individuals often donated money to the Roman Catholic Church to be used to help the poor. Today, this would be considered an act of responsible citizenship. Would those donations given in the Middle Ages have been looked at in the same way, considering the worldview of the time? 21 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 INFLUENCE The Influence feature presents information about an individual or a Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci group that had a major influence on the society Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci (1170–1250) was born in Pisa, Italy, but of the time. was raised and educated in North Africa, surrounded by the scholarly Islamic world. He travelled the then-known world with his father, who was a merchant. Fibonacci saw great advantages in the mathematical systems used in the Islamic world compared to the Roman numeral system used in Europe. His first book described the Hindu-Arabic place-value system and the use of Arabic numerals. His book was of particular interest to merchants because it contained many mathematical problems about buying and selling items. These problems showed how to calculate profits from sales and how to convert between the various currencies used in the Mediterranean area at the time. His text also acted as a guide for the lending and borrowing of money. The introduction of Arabic numerals made calculations much easier for merchants. Fibonacci lived in the Architects use this Middle Ages, but sequence of spirals he influenced both and rectangles in their the Renaissance buildings, as it is world and the considered pleasing modern world with to the human eye. his mathematical discoveries. Fibonacci is a good example of how an individual can influence the world by encountering knowledge held by others, taking it, I,1,II,2,III,3,V,5, VIII, 8,XIII, 13, XXI, 21, … and building new ideas from it. … The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two numbers before it. What would be the next number in the sequence as shown here? In the diagram, each section of the spiral grows according to the sequence. This spiral represents many situations in nature. The spirals in seashells match up to this sequence. Seedheads of sunflowers and other flowers follow the same spiral pattern. So, too, do pine cones. 22  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? How Did the Social Structure During the Middle Ages Reflect the Worldview of the Time? After the fall of the Roman Empire, the feudal system developed feudal system: a political- in much of Europe. In this system, monarchs often granted land to economic-social system of landholding, in place in important nobles in return for their military support. In other cases, much of Europe in the powerful landholding nobles were persuaded through diplomacy Middle Ages. Class structure to form alliances and give support to a central monarch. The nobles and roles were very rigid. promised to provide the monarch with soldiers and supplies in times diplomacy: the skill or tact of war, as well as support through taxes. They often subdivided their in handling negotiations, lands to lesser nobles or knights. Most of the common people were especially in government serfs — peasants were the property of their lords and worked the alliance: a formal agreement land for them. They were allowed to have their own houses but to cooperate could not move to any other place. They had to give part of their hierarchical: based on crops and other products to the nobles who, in turn, sent much of classes of status or authority it to the king and queen. The serfs also served as soldiers in time of ranked one above the other war. In return, the nobles offered them protection from invaders. King The social system in the feudal system was a hierarchical class structure. The monarch was the most powerful. The higher priests Higher Clergy and clergy, who often owned land and serfs, had status and power just above that of the powerful nobles. Knights and lesser nobles, along with the lower clergy, Nobles were next in the hierarchy. The serfs, although making up the majority of the population (often 90% or more) had the least power Lesser Nobles, and were at the bottom of Knights, Lower Clergy the social hierarchy. Serfs/Peasants 23 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 The identities of the serfs were tied to their lord. Their children would automatically be serfs at birth — moving outside a person’s class was never a thought. A person’s ability to change from the Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a book of social class they were born into was not a part of the medieval hours, Limbourg brothers, worldview within the rigid social and government structures of the 1412–1416. There are feudal system. The religious worldview also played a part in people’s no photographs of the acceptance of the way things were, as people believed their situation Renaissance, but information was God’s will and His will was not to be questioned. can be found from paintings Society was largely divided between the rich and the poor. Nobles and drawings. These drawings come from a book and lords lived in huge castles or fortified manor houses. The servants of hours owned by a French who worked in the castle at jobs such as cooking, cleaning, or making Duke — Jean, Duc de Berry. weapons, also lived in the castle. Outside the castle walls, the serfs or Books of hours were peasants lived in huts. beautifully illustrated books of prayers for certain hours during the day. These were expensive and spectacular works of art, so ownership was generally limited to royalty, nobility, and the wealthy. The illustration on the left shows a peasant using an ox-drawn plough; in the background, peasants tend vines, herd sheep, and prepare to sow grain. On the right, the Duc de Berry is shown in a lavish blue robe, with ladies and attendants. In the background, boatmen net fish in a pond, and the château and its garden can be seen. What do these pages tell you about the lives of nobles and peasants? Might you guess about differences in their worldviews? REFLECT AND RESPOND 1. If you were a member of the family of serfs who lived in the small hut, what would be your daily concerns? How might you describe your identity — who you are, what you value, where you see yourself belonging? How do you think a family member living in the manor house would answer the same questions? How do you think the perspectives would differ? Would the worldviews of serfs and nobles have similarities? 2. How does the story of Fibonacci show that one individual can have a huge impact on a society? 24  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? FOCUS ON INQUIRY The Focus on Inquiry feature helps you understand How Might the Black Death each step in the Inquiry Model by working through Have Changed the Way inquiry projects that use each step of the model. By People Viewed the World? the end of the text, you will have practised each step of the Inquiry Model. H i s t o r y Te l l s U s … Towards the end of the Middle Ages, in the fall of 1347, Genoan trading ships returning from the Black Sea landed in Sicily. The sailors were either dead or pestilence: a usually dying of an unknown disease. Pus and blood oozed from painful black lumps fatal in their armpits and groin, their skin looked bruised because of internal epidemic bleeding, and the smell of their breath, sweat, blood, urine, and excrement disease was horrible. Most of the sailors died within three to five days of catching the mortality: Black Death. This disease was the bubonic plague, a highly infectious illness. death The plague reappeared across Europe at least six times between 1347 and 1410, with each occurrence lasting four to six months. It disappeared in the winter and then reappeared in the spring for another six months. The first epidemic of the plague in Europe, called the Pestilence or the Great Mortality, lasted from 1347 to 1350. Outbreaks of the plague continued in Europe until the late 1700s. The Spread of the First Bubonic Plague Epidemic I wonder … why N 1347 was bubonic Summer 1348 W plague called the London Spring 1349 E Black Death? S Fall 1349 1350 I wonder … did Paris the rats get sick Atlantic Minor outbreaks Ocean from the plague? I wonder … why did the plague CRIMEA Genoa disappear in the a Marseille Florence c k Se winter? Bla Barcelona Rome Medi terr an ea n Sicily 0 500 km Sea It was almost 500 years after the first epidemic before scientists discovered what caused the bubonic plague. Rats, which were a part of everyday life in Europe at that time, carried fleas. The bacteria that caused the plague lived on these fleas and spread quickly from rats to humans, since fleas can jump from one animal to another. Historians believe that the plague originally began in Asia and spread across the Eurasian continent. 25 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 The plague spread very quickly and sometimes caused death I wonder … what did overnight. In the 1300s, little was known about the connection sanitation have to do with between hygiene and disease, and there was poor sanitation in the spread of the plague? the living conditions during the late Middle Ages. No one was safe from the plague. It attacked rich and poor, strong and weak, young and old. There was no prevention or cure. The poor in Italy were astrology: the particularly at risk to the Great Mortality due to study of planets, stars, and comets lack of food caused by recent flooding and famine in the belief that homelessness because of the damage from a severe earthquake their movements and positions cooler than normal weather, forcing many to live in crowded affect daily life conditions in small, dirty rooms People tried to understand what caused the Pestilence. Why was it killing entire villages and families? Why was it destroying their lives I wonder … why would and jobs? doctors believe the plague Medical doctors, who believed that health was linked to was caused by planets? astrology, were convinced that the plague resulted from the movements of the planets Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. Other people thought that the plague was a punishment sent Estimated Daily by God. Death Tolls Others believed that it was caused by the Devil or magic. October–December 1347 Others believed that burning incense would purify the air Paris 800 per day and keep the plague away. Pisa 500 per day Others blamed cultural or ethnic groups of people different Vienna 600 per day from their own group. Avignon 400 per day I wonder … why do people often blame things on people from groups different from themselves? The Triumph of Death, Francesco Traini, 14th century 26  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? No one knows exactly how many people died from the bubonic plague epidemics, but most historians agree that by 1400, the I wonder … why would population of Europe was about half of what it was two centuries more people die in the cities than in the earlier. Cities suffered most of the deaths, but once a rural community countryside? was infected, it was not uncommon for 90% of the residents to die. I wonder … what would So many died that bodies were left to rot in the street or were buried happen today if a killer in mass graves. Villages and families vanished without a trace because plague reached my at that time in Europe, most villages had no name, the poor only had community? first names, and census records were very rare. Those who survived I wonder … if the plague often had no friends or family left alive and moved to the cities to find came to my community, a way to make a living. how would it change the way I think about my friends and family? How would it change the way I view the world? I wonder … why would The Dance of Death, fresco, Janez Kastav, 14th century, the poor only have first in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Hrastovlje, Slovenia. names? Artwork of this century reflects the images of death that were everywhere. 27 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 Planning U s i n g Yo u r I n q u i r y S k i l l s There are many models of inquiry, but the one used in this text has Creating Reflecting Retrieving five interconnected phases. Each chapter of this text provides a chance and and for you to explore one or more phases of this inquiry process. In this Sharing Evaluating activity, you will practise the Planning phase. Reflecting and Evaluating is always done. Processing How might the Black Death have changed the way people viewed the world? SKILLS CENTRE The bubonic plague has fascinated humankind for centuries. Fascination leads to questioning and then searching for answers. Turn to How to Carry In this Focus on Inquiry, several I wonder … questions that other Out an Inquiry in the Skills Centre to review students might ask as they read about the plague are included as the Inquiry Model and samples. What are other questions that you might have for more information wondered about? about how to write a research plan. Planning Phase Step 1 — Identify a topic One of the first steps in the Planning phase is thinking of questions about a certain topic. As a class, use the Think–Pair–Share method to brainstorm for questions about the Black Death and how it might have changed the way people viewed the world. Working alone, select one question that you want to explore. Step 2 — Identify possible information sources Think about where you might find information to answer your question. List three or four kinds of resources that would be most useful in your search to explore your question. Why would they be useful? Where are they located? Step 3 — Identify audience and presentation format Choose a way to communicate your understanding to others. Select a presentation format (oral, visual, written, multimedia) and an audience (partner, small group, whole class, e-mail pen pal). Reflecting and Evaluating Phase How did you think of questions about the plague? How did you select one question to focus on? What types of activities occur during the Planning phase? 28  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? How Did the Growth of Cities Contribute to a Changing Worldview? Tr a d e By the late Middle Ages, Europeans wanted more of the exotic spices city-state: a city that governs and silks that had been brought back by the crusaders. Merchants itself and the countryside surrounding it hired adventurers and sailors to open new trade routes to all parts of their known world, such as North Africa and the Middle East, and across land routes to India and China. These Major Italian City-States new trade routes began a revival in business and shipping in the Western world that had not existed Milan Venice N since the Roman Empire. The increased contact Genoa W E with other societies and cultures, initially to obtain Avignon Florence S rare foods, fabrics, and other products, also Ligurian Sea Pisa Urbino introduced Europeans to different intellectual ideas dr A ia and knowledge from other societies. Most came Rome ITALIAN tic Se a from contact with traders in Islamic societies who Ty PENINSULA rrh were located geographically between Europe and en Naples i an the Far East societies of China and Japan and the Se tropical areas of Africa to the south. a In Europe, the numbers of merchants and traders Medi grew and so did their wealth. They became a terr an ea powerful new class outside the hierarchy of the City-State n feudal system. Their wealth brought them power to 0 400 km Sea influence leaders and led to a change in worldview. A person’s role in the rigid structure of the feudal The Renaissance began in system might be able to change. People began to see that it was the major Italian city-states possible to move out of the class into which they had been born. of Florence, Genoa, Venice, Because of increased trading, cities began to grow. By the middle and Milan. These centres of the 14th century, Paris, Florence, Venice, and Genoa were the became wealthy and largest cities in Europe, each with populations of at least 100 000. powerful because they were located on important trade These larger urban populations increased the demand for foods and routes within Italy, either other products and led to changes in the way people lived: old Roman roads or rivers. Some people established businesses to provide goods for city They were also located on residents, and a new, wealthy merchant class began to grow. trade routes linking the Industries began to specialize in goods for trade, such as textiles, Eastern Mediterranean to furniture, and handicrafts, and more people moved to the cities the rest of Europe. to work in these industries. Workers began to find and create jobs that were not part of the feudal system and, thus, became less dependent on the nobles. Some communities became so prosperous and powerful from trade, industry, and banking that they became city-states. Individuals began to feel a sense of belonging to their larger communities, not just to their local lord. 29 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 Urbanization urbanization: the movement After the first bubonic plague epidemic in 1350, Europe experienced of population away from the more turmoil. There were too few peasants left alive to seed and countryside and into cities harvest the land. Peasants decided they might be able to find better value judgment: an opinion lives for themselves if they moved to the cities, especially the Italian based on a person’s cities on the Mediterranean. Many of the surviving nobles, who could individual values and beliefs no longer find labourers to work their lands, also moved to these cities. There were more opportunities for work in the Italian cities because of their established trade with other parts of the Mediterranean and because they had already built a successful shipping industry. Within 50 years of the first bubonic plague, cities in Italy became very powerful, especially Florence, Genoa, Venice, and Milan. These cities became the most successful commercial centres of banking, trade, commerce, and industry in western Europe. Effects of Good Government, Ambroglia Lorenzetti, 1338, There are no exact dates when one era ends and another begins. showing city gate of Siena The Renaissance did not start on a certain date, nor did it have a sudden ending. It evolved gradually out of the Middle Ages and, in fact, had much in common with the Middle Ages. There are some historians who view the Renaissance as starting much earlier than the mid-14th century and others who believe it ended earlier than the 1600s. These different views of history are not just descriptions The societies in what is now Italy, more than any of the time, they are often value judgments used to explain the other part of western relationship of the past to the present. Europe, maintained ties to ancient Roman ways of life after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The ancient ruins of buildings, such as the Roman coliseum shown here, aqueducts, roads, cities, statues, and artifacts were constant reminders of the power and glory of the ancient Roman Empire. 30  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? There were several reasons why city-states prospered in Italy: court: the families, advisors, Mountains to the north helped protect Italy from invaders. and other members of a This allowed relatively stable development of the city-states. royal or noble household Trading cities began to thrive in Italy as early as the papacy: the pope and the 10th century, which meant that life in the Italian Peninsula government of the Roman Catholic Church was already more urban than in northern Europe. The feudal system was not strong in Italy due to the urban republic: a state in which lifestyle and lack of agricultural land. power is held by the people or their representatives The architectural ruins of the glorious city-states of Ancient Rome reminded the population of how effective that style of despot: a leader with unlimited power; a tyrant government had been. or oppressor The power of the Roman Catholic Church over the Italian city-states weakened when the pope and his court (the papacy) oligarchy: a form of government in which a few moved from Rome to Avignon, in southern France. Italian people have the power city-states could now govern themselves without much interference from the rulings of the Church. They were entirely independent and, initially, many of them organized themselves as individual republics. The papacy moved from Rome to Avignon because at this time, Most Italian city-states began as republics. In a republic, a group of the pope and many citizens, rather than a monarch, governs the state. By the late Middle top clerics were French. Ages, the most powerful citizens in these republics were members of the new wealthy merchant class. By the 14th century, though, most of the republican governments had failed and the city-states were usually ruled by despots or by oligarchies. Later in this chapter, you Several powerful city- states grew in the area will learn that the powerful city-states of Florence and Venice were that is now called Italy. ruled by oligarchies and Genoa by a despot. How might Florence, Warfare among the city-states over territory and trading routes was Venice, and Genoa have common. After decades of fighting, the city-states of Florence, used geographic features Venice, Milan, and Naples finally signed the Treaty of Lodi in 1454, to protect themselves which brought relative stability to the area for 40 years. In this from enemies? treaty, Milan and Naples formed an alliance with Florence, and Venice was supported by the papacy. In this agreement, no city-state was allowed to become powerful enough to threaten or overthrow any other city-state. Removing the threat of warfare allowed the city- I wonder … what other states to focus on improving their trade and amassing huge wealth. city-states in other places existed at this time? Italy was originally settled by a number of tribes, and over time, powerful city-states developed in those locations. The name Italy came from the name of a tribe that settled in the very southern tip of the peninsula. The ancient Romans later used the term Italy to refer to the portion of the Italian Peninsula south of Rome. 31 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 sovereignty: supreme power Around the end of the 15th century, the city-states began to send and authority; the freedom permanent ambassadors to foreign courts or states. The role of the of a country or political ambassador was to keep in constant touch with governments that unit from outside control could be either potential allies or enemies. Through diplomacy, relationships and alliances, often through marriages, were Diplomacy became maintained to reduce threats to sovereignty and trading. increasingly important to maintain peace among city-states and Portrait of Catherine de Medici, unknown countries so trade could French artist, 16th century. To strengthen continue to flourish. ties between Florence and France, I wonder … what role Catherine de Medici, daughter of the does diplomacy play in governor of Florence, was married in 1533 today’s world? to Prince Henri, who became King Henri II of France. Catherine then became the queen of France. Renaissance ideas were spread from royal court to royal court. Historical categories Today, many governments establish embassies and their names are in other countries. Ambassadors work through often placed on a period diplomacy to promote their own country’s long after it is over. economic and policy aims by establishing The people living relationships with the government of the between 1350 and 1600 other countries. did not use the word Renaissance to describe their time in history. SKILLS CENTRE Turn to How to Organize Information in the Skills Centre to review how to use graphic organizers and charts to summarize the information about city-states. REFLECT AND RESPOND 1. a. In what ways did contact among people increase during this time? b. What effect did contact have on the lives and worldviews of the people? 2. What role did trade play in changing people’s worldviews? 3. Discuss in groups: How did the governments in Italian city-states change during the Renaissance? How might these changes in government have affected the daily life of the people? How would the changes have affected worldview? 4. Canada has gone through rapid urbanization in the last 50 years. How do you think this has affected people’s identities? How might having most of the population living in cities affect the worldview of Canadians? 32  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? Same Time, Different Place Same Time, Different Place highlights events occurring in other societies around the world in the same time frame as this case study. Cities, 1400s Ti m b u k t u , We s t A f r i c a Timbuktu (Tombouctou) was an important Islamic trade centre located on the Niger River at the edge of the southern Sahara Desert in what is now the modern country of Mali. As the biggest city in the Songhai Empire, the largest kingdom in Africa, it became an important spiritual, educational, and cultural centre. Its University of Sankore was one of the largest in the world, with 25 000 students. It attracted Islamic scholars from around the then-known world. Knowledge held and developed in Tombouctou made its way to Europe and helped spur the Renaissance. Cuzco, South America Cuzco, the richest city in the New World, was the centre of the Inca civilization, the most powerful empire in South America. The empire had a population of about 12 000 000 connected by over 22 000 kilometres of roads stretching from southern Columbia to central Chile. The city was built in the shape of a sacred Puma and had great stone buildings, palaces and temples, and homes for commoners. Temples, buildings, paved roads, and elaborate gardens all shimmered with gold. The richest temple was dedicated to sun worship and was decorated I wonder … are some of with extravagant amounts of gold and silver. today’s large cities becoming like city-states? Cahokia, Mid-North America Cahokia is the name given to a large city built by people of the Mississippian culture, believed to be the ancestors of the Osage, Omaha, Ponca, and Quapaw First Nations. Its site is located in the present-day state of Illinois. Top: Timbuktu Engraving, Earthen mounds remaining today provide information about this Fumagalli and others. First city that existed between 650 and 1400. The largest mound is more university set up by Arabs in than 30 metres high with a base of 316 metres by 241 metres. A large the Sahara Desert. building, about the size of a football field and more than 15 metres tall, Middle: European view of stood on top of the mound. This structure was larger than the pyramid Cuzco, Peru, from Voyages of Cheops in Egypt. The plaza for this structure still holds the record for Pittoresque, Carl Nebel being the largest earthen plaza ever constructed. Bottom: Cahokia Mounds The mounds for 109 structures have been found. The city’s population State Historic Site of about 40 000 people was larger than that of London. The Cahokia society had trade ties throughout North America. 33 O u r Wo r l d v i e w s Chapter 1 Florence How Did the City-State of Florence Reflect the Renaissance Worldview? Political and Economic Systems Florence, or Firenza in Italian, developed as a city-state in north- central Italy. It was built on the Arno River, which had been a trade route for centuries. Merchants and traders had prospered in Florence since before the Roman Empire, but during the Renaissance, as trade increased, it became the centre of highly successful bankers and silk By 1338, Florence was and wool merchants. The wealthy bankers supported the pope in one of the four largest Rome; in return, he gave them the financial business of the papacy. cities in Europe with a Through their banking and business dealings, Florentines met people population of over from other societies and cultures. They were exposed to new ideas 100 000. and knowledge that eventually spread to the rest of western Europe. Florence was the richest of the city-states and became so wealthy that it bought surrounding cities such as Lucca, Arezzo, and Livorno from their rulers. In this way, Florentines extended power and control over more and more of the region. Like most other Italian city-states, Florence began as a republic, but did not last because of power struggles among various groups. By 1435, one powerful family, the Medici, took control of the city. Under their leadership, Florence became the centre of the Renaissance in Italy. Carta della Catena, Italian school, 1490. Panoramic view of Florence and River Arno. Map of Florence during the 15th century — the Golden Age. The hilly terrain surrounding Florence was not good for farming, but perfect for raising sheep. As a result, the city became a natural centre for wool and cloth industries. 34  W h a t We r e t h e F a c t o r s T h a t S h a p e d t h e R e n a i s s a n c e Wo r l d v i e w ? Social Systems Although Florentine society was based on a class system, as the guild: an organization of craftsmen or merchants merchant class became wealthier, they were able to move up the social ladder and gain status in the community. People in the merchant class were called the popolo grasso (the fat people). They organized The florin was themselves into guilds, which represented the wool manufacturers one of the first and wool finishers, silk merchants, and bankers. Guilds were similar gold coins to today’s unions or professional organizations. Workers and produced in shopkeepers were called popolo minuto (the little people). Most of western Europe the workers had been peasants who had moved to the city to work and led to the use of money, rather than in the fabric industries. They were not allowed to be members of bartering (exchanging the guilds. The nobles, or upper class, still owned most of the land one product for another and continued to live on estates outside the city. product), for purchasing items. Because Florence’s Culture banking families were so powerful and influential, When the Medici family became the leaders of Florence, the and because the coin was city-state became a major centre of Renaissance culture. of such high-grade gold, They supported artists, architects, and scholars developing a city the florin became the rich in works of art, architectural marvels, and scholarly thought. standard currency of Europe during the early Ideals of citizenship were promoted and those with wealth and power Renaissance. believed they had a responsibility to carry out positive civic works. I wonder … is there a standard currency used around the world today? T T H H E E NTTEED ALLEEN TTA D OU A USS A N N D D AM HEE FFA TTH MO of Firenza Alessandro Botticelli, painter da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli Renaissance man Amerigo Vespucci, explorer and cartographer Giuliano de Medici, statesman and patron