Renaissance Begins in Italy

The Renaissance began in Italy, where conditions were ideal for a cultural resurgence. In 1400, Italy was controlled by city-states, such as Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan. During the Middle Ages, much of Italy was controlled by the Holy Roman Empire. As the emperors and popes fought for control, both were weakened. Several Italian cities formed states that were independent of both the empire and the church. Venice and Florence were two centers of power and wealth that became the cradle of the Renaissance. These city-states had grown rich from trade and commerce. Wealthy Italian merchants and bankers had money to spend on luxuries and works of art.

Italy had long been engaged in trade across the Mediterranean. Italian cities such as Naples, Genoa, and Venice became centers of trade between Europe and the Middle East. By the 13th century, Venice was the most prosperous city in Europe. The city became rich by collecting taxes on all merchandise brought into its harbor. This foreign contact also gave Italians a greater awareness of the world. In the Middle East, Arab scholars had preserved the writings of the ancient Greeks in great libraries. So, when these Italian cities traded with Arab merchants, the Italians were reconnected with the ideas of the ancient Greeks. These “new” ideas, preserved from the ancient past, served as the basis of the Renaissance. The Italian people, additionally, were surrounded by the remains of classical Rome. This heritage helped stimulate interest in the past. This interest was enhanced by the contact with Arab merchants from the Byzantine Empire, where much classical scholarship was preserved. During the 1300s and 1400s, many Byzantine scholars moved to Italy to escape the growing threat of the Ottoman Empire. They brought a large body of knowledge with them.

City-state rulers also sought to compete with their rivals by bringing artistic glory to their cities. The merchants competed with one another by building grand palaces for themselves. The merchants were patrons of the arts. Patron comes from the Latin word for father. They hired artists to fill their homes with beautiful paintings and sculptures. Patrons bought rare books and paid scholars to teach their children. Rich patrons of the arts, such as the ruling Medici (MED-ih-chee) family of Florence, offered financial support to writers and artists. Education also became more important, as the demands of business and government called for more literate people versed in accounting and law. The money and encouragement of patrons together with that of the church, made the masterpieces of Renaissance art possible.

Humanism and Secularism

Although Renaissance thinkers sought to revive classical culture, this culture had never really disappeared in Europe. The Catholic Church had preserved the works of Plato, Aristotle, and other ancient philosophers, but it interpreted their work from a Christian perspective. What the Renaissance thinkers did was return to the original sources and read them in a new, non-religious light.

In reviving classical thought, the artists and writers of the Renaissance were guided by humanism. This philosophy balanced religious faith with a secular point of view. It emphasized the dignity and worth of the individual. As humanists, the Renaissance thinkers studied classical art and literature for their insights into human life, rather than spiritual matters.

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