The Renaissance Begins (pages 608-615)

Did You Know?

In the 1800s and 1900s, a railroad station and a road for automobiles
were constructed at the northern edge of Venice. Today, transportation
within the city remains much as it was during the Renaissance—by boat or
foot.

The Italian Renaissance (pages 609-610)

Renaissance means "rebirth." The Renaissance in Europe—a rebirth
of interest in art and learning—occurred between 1350 and 1550.

During the Renaissance, Europeans believed that people could change the
world and make it better. Though they were still religious, they celebrated
human achievements and became more secular, meaning they were more
interested in the world than in religion.

The Renaissance began in Italy. Italy had been the center of the Roman
Empire. The country had also become very wealthy so it could afford to pay
artists to create art. And because Italy was still divided into small
city-states, individuals wanted to create works that would increase the fame
of their cities.

Florence and Venice were important city-states during the
Renaissance.

More people in Italy lived in the city-states than in the country. The
artists in the city-states had more customers to buy their work.

Discussion Question

How did the rise of city-states help the development of art during the
Renaissance? (The city-states competed with each other. They commissioned
works of art to make their towns more beautiful than others, which created
more work for artists and
craftspeople.)

156

The Rise of Italy's City-States (pages 611-613)

No one ruler was able to unite all of Italy. This was the case, in part,
because the Catholic Church wanted to prevent a strong ruler from
controlling the pope and the Church. Another factor was that the small
city-states were equally powerful and wealthy.

Italy was in a perfect location for trade. The Italians traded with the
French, Spanish, Dutch, English, Turks, Arabs, and Byzantines.

The Mongols helped promote trade in Italy by protecting the Silk Road.
Marco Polo, a merchant from Venice, had published a book about his
travels to the East.

Florence was the first city-state to grow wealthy and is the most famous
city of the Renaissance. Florentine bankers became experts at valuing coins.
They began lending money and charging interest. Florence's richest family,
the Medici, were bankers.

Venice was the wealthiest city-state. Venice is built on a set of swampy
islands. Venetians navigated their city-state by boat and became great
sailors and shipbuilders.

Discussion Question

Why did the Venetians become expert sailors and shipbuilders? (Because
Venice was built on islands, Venetians used boats to navigate their city.
Over time, they became experts at building and sailing
ships.)

The Urban Noble (pages 614-615)

Noble families moved into cities and mixed with wealthy merchants there.
Wealthy merchants copied the nobles' manners, and soon the children of the
merchants and nobles were marrying each other. These families became the
urban upper class.

At first, the city-states were republics. Gradually the city-states gave
power to one man to run the government. In Venice, the doge had power.
Later, the doge lost power to a small group of nobles. In Florence, the
Medici family gained power and ruled for many years.

157

To deal with other city-states, Italian rulers developed
diplomacy, which is the art of negotiating or making deals.

Niccolò Machiavelli, a diplomat in Florence, thought people were
too greedy and self-centered. He thought rulers should not try to be good,
but should do whatever is necessary to keep power and protect a city.

Discussion Question

What were the duties of the rulers of city-states? (Rulers had to keep
the poor people from rebelling, prevent other wealthy people from gaining
power, negotiate with leaders from other city-states, and make deals with
merchants, landlords, church leaders, and
mercenaries.)

158