Renaissance (Rebirth) A New Vision of Humanity 1450 – 1600

1. Renaissance (Rebirth)A New Vision of Humanity 1450 – 1600

2. St. Peter's Basilica St. Peter's Basilica is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. It is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people.

3. It is the burial site of Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and first Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter's tomb, along with many other Popes is directly below the altar of the basilica. Construction of the present basilica began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.

4. The Italian Renaissance • It originated in Italy around 1300. • These new ideas were well-received and flourished throughout Italy. • By 1500, these new ideas had also reached Northern parts of Europe.

5. Understanding the Beginnings of the Renaissance: To understand the beginnings of the Renaissance, you must go back +/- 800 yrs, to the fall of the Roman Empire. For 1 000 yrs, Rome ruled most of Europe, bringing advancements in technology, learning and government. Once Rome fell to invaders in 542 CE, Western Europe fell into a stagnant* period known as the Middle Ages. *Not advancing or developing

6. Society regressed; People did not venture far from their small villages. Local lords ruled by force and intimidation. Learning took place only in religious houses. Europeans grew up ignorant, illiterate, and superstitious. Peasants and serfs did not find life beautiful or intriguing.

7. They lived in miserable conditions. He had little hope of improving their lives. If you were born a peasant, you would most likely die a peasant. Their main goal in life was finding eternal salvation. Life on Earth was a journey to suffer through, in order to reach Heaven.

8. New Beliefs at the End of the Middle Ages: Towards the end of the Middle Ages, new ideas and beliefs about life and its purpose began to spread. This school of thought, known as humanism, was based on the belief that life on Earth had a point of its own. It wasn`t just a miserable pit-stop on the way to Heaven. Humanists believed that life was beautiful and should be enjoyed.

9. The Rise of Merchants at the End of the Middle Ages: The Black Death, wiped out hundreds of thousands of Europeans. This caused a huge shortage of workers. Wages rose as a result of a high demand for workers. The standard of living rose as the wages improved. This lead to the rise of wealthy merchants, They would provide the money, resources and the incentive for the Renaissance.

10. The Renaissance brought Changes in Society: It was a cultural movement. The social changes that took place during the Renaissance were slow, but steady. Individuals had become for confident and felt more empowered.

11. Humanism was a key Component of the Renaissance: It was also an the intellectual movement It was based on the study of classical Greek and Roman cultures. Humanists believed that your accomplishments were important and defined who you were as a person. The new attitude was ‘Live for Today’. Hard-working merchants liked this movement because they were tired of the ruling nobles*. *A person who is born into a privileged, wealthy family

12. Humanism and Renaissance Art: New techniques in art created astounding works of art. A technique known as Perspective made scenes appear three dimensional. Careful shading make objects look round and real, rather than flat. Using human models helped artists portray the human body far more accurately than in Medieval art.

13. Renaissance art glorified the human body. It placed importance of the individual and were secular (non-religious). The works of the four great masters, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello set the standard for Renaissance art. Davinci’sMona Lisaportrays a simple woman, wearing a simple smile. Artists turned to the classics of Ancient Greece and Rome for inspirations.

14. Pre-Renaissance Art: Early Medieval art was Romanesque style. Romanesque paintings are naive; the characters have unrealistic features and showed no emotion. By 1100 AD, Medieval art had become Gothic Gothic architecture can be recognized by the pointed arches on buildings. Gothic art shows more concern for realism and emotion.

15. Gothic Architecture became popular in the late Medieval Period. It was most commonly used for cathedrals and churches in Europe. Westminster Abbey is a large, Gothic church. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs.

16. What did Humanism contribute to Western Culture? Intellectuals began to spread scientific knowledge throughout Europe despite the Church’s opposition to it. Humanists had great interests in history, philosophy, art and literature. They looked backwards, at the cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration.

17. The children of wealthy merchants and nobles started reading humanist philosophy. According to Humanism, education should stimulate student’s creative powers. Students were taught poetry, history, and public speaking. Before the Humanist movement, the Church successfully controlled all aspects of our lives. Europeans under humanist influence began to question the Church‘s practises.

18. The Humanist belief was that people were able to reason well on their own, without the influence of the Church. The belief also rejected the idea of being controlled or brainwashed by the Church. In other words, people should be given the right to have individual freedom of thought. à They believed God should not be our central concern. They preached for tolerance and peace instead of also engaging in religious wars.

19. Printing in the Renaissance: Invented by Johannes Gutenberg The printing press revolutionized Renaissance society the same way TV and the internet have influenced the 20th and 21st centuries. For the first time books were cheap enough for the masses; learning and new ideas spread like wildfire throughout Europe. The printing pressing enabled ideas to spread across Europe.

20. Scientific Progress During the Renaissance: Church taught that the Earth was flat and that it was at the center of the universe! Any new idea which had conflicted with the biblical texts was forbidden (punishable by death!). Scientists learned about human anatomy by dissecting corpses. This lead to the advancement in medicine. Dissecting corpses was forbidden by the church.

21. Martin LUTHER and The Reformation: Martin Luther started a movement to reform the Catholic Church. He believed the church had become too rich, powerful and corrupt!

22. Criticism of the Church: Members of the clergy did not honour their vows of poverty and chastity. The Pope and bishops lived in luxury and behaved like powerful noblemen. Priests were ignorant, neglected their duties and were left unsupervised.

23. Pope Leo X & the Selling of Indulgences: When the Church attached the sale of indulgences, Luther became increasingly enraged at this practice. Indulgences meant that a person could buy their way out of purgatory or hell. Church leaders commonly launched indulgence campaigns to finance large building projects (such as the building of St. Peter's in Rome).

24. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses onto the wooden doors of the church. He revealed the corruption going on inside church walls.

25. His Letter stressed out the following issues: The Catholic Church believes that we only get into heaven by faith plus good works. (Showing that you are a good Christian by helping the poor, helping your neighbor in need, encouraging others, volunteering etc.) The bible teaches us that we go to heaven strictly by faith in Jesus Christ.

26. 2. The Bible is the living true authority of God, not the Pope. 3. People can read and interpret the bible for themselves instead of relying on the priests or bishops to do it for them. 4. People did not need to buy their rights to heaven. 5. All people are created equal through the eyes of God. 6. He encouraged worshiping God through praise and singing.

27. Luther Excommunicated: Martin Luther was excommunicated by the Pope in 1520 after he publicly burned the Papal Decree (letters issued by the Pope). In 1521, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V put him on trial and condemned him as a heretic and an outlaw of the church.

28. They didn't execute him because that would've made him a martyr. Frederick the Wise, of Saxony made a deal with the Catholic Church resulting in Martin Luther's safe passage to his home at Wartburg Castle. While in exile, he rewrote the bible in German.

29. During the months he stayed there, he witnessed many social changes as a result of his revolution. "Salvation is achieved through Jesus Christ alone" – Martin Luther

30. The Church’s Reaction to the Reformation: In 1545, Pope Paul III assembled a council (meeting with important Church officials) in the city of Trent to discuss how to deal with the Reformation. The council made the following decisions at this meeting: Priests had to be supervised and educated in colleges.

31. Published an Official Latin Bible. • Created new religious orders like the Jesuits. • Jesuits were educated priests that taught and spread the Roman Catholic faith throughout the world. • Heretics would be prosecuted in courts called the inquisition. • Protestants were considered heretics. • Enemies of the Church were put on trial and sentenced to death. • This council also decided to get rid of the selling of indulgences because it was bad for the Church’s image.

32. The church made a list of banned books. These “BAD” books were listed in THE INDEX. The Effects of the Counter-Reformation: The Council of Trent revived enthusiasm for the Roman Catholic Church. The highly-educated Jesuits challenged Protestant preachers. The Protestant movement was weakened. http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/exhibits/bannedbooks/index2.jpg