The Italian Renaissance: Wealth, Trade, and the Church

Slide1ItalianRenaissance Wealth, trade, and the Church

Slide2Italian Renaissance ( 1420 - 1600 A.D. )

Slide3European Population11 th  to 14 th  centuries  Justinian Reformation (533 A.D.)  Black Death 1328

Slide4Italian City-States14 th , 15 th , and 16 th  Centuries  Power and growth of European Empires  Focus on mono-culturism  Rise of humanistic studies, science, and arts  Unstable political and economic situation

Slide5Italian City-States (cntd)14 th , 15 th , and 16 th  Centuries Shift in regional powers Volatility in economies, trade, social structures Main Point:  economic, social, or political stability are not needed for intellectual and cultural experimentation.

Slide6Urban Wealth 12 th  to 13 th  Centuries-start and apex (Italy)  Venice  Concentration of wealth and the church: sin, sin, and damnation of the soul: usury!!  Birth of City-States  Monarchy vs. Regional Autonomy

Slide7City-States Firenze/Florence: City-State  Medieval Period: Holy Roman Emperor vs. Roman Pope  Space for autonomy  Banking and Trade

Slide8City-States and Regionsin Italy Early Renaissance  Papal States (Romagna)  Republic of Firenze and Venice  Kingdom of Napoli  Duchy of Milano

Slide9Concentration of Wealth Wealth: non-aristocratic vs. nobility  Banking and middle class  City-States: self-funded autonomy  Reorganization of Social Structures  Nobility and Banking interests  Dwindling of nobility power and papacy

Slide10Social Structure in City-States Old nobility and merchant class  Emergent capitalists and bankers  Less wealthy merchants and tradespeople  Poor and destitute (1/4 or population, approx)  Domestic slaves

Slide11Commerce: a blessing or acurse?  Deep class divisions  Gender relations  Slavery (Southern Italy-12 th  century)  Slaves: Muslims from Spain, North Africa, Crete, the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire.

Slide12Commerce: a blessing or acurse?  Slavery and domestic service  Ownership: sell and “enjoyment”  Off-spring and freedom  Parental rights  Plantation Slavery: Cyprus and Crete

Slide13Firenze Role as cultural center  Rulers and glorification of wealth  Patrons of arts, sciences, philosophy, architecture, literature  Cosimo de’Medici: 1389-1464  Platonic Academy  Lorenzo and Piero de’Medici (1449- 1492)

Slide14Conclusions Socio-economic and political changes led to intellectual, scientific, and artistic experimentation.  Power struggles btx Roman Emperor and Pope open space for political autonomy in Italy.  Trade and political autonomy facilitated the development of banking industry  Concentration of wealth made possible the rise of City-States, trade, and reorganization of social structures  Deep divisions between social classes:   old   nobility and merchant class; emergent capitalists and bankers; Less wealthy merchants and tradespeople; poor and destitute and domestic slaves

Slide15Conclusions Concentration of wealth ended the influential role of nobility.  Commercial diversity (Sugar Cane Plantations) gave rise to plantation-style slavery during the Renaissance  Church officials rose from the ranks of nobility; strong political roles focused on expanding power  Last but not least: economic, social, or political stability are not needed for intellectual and cultural experimentation

Slide16 Questions?

Slide17Thank You