Western Civilization
The Early Renaissance
The word Renaissance means "rebirth" and people living during the time began to see themselves as "reborn" from medieval, feudal times. The Early Renaissance formed the backbone for the movement that continued through several centuries, and it was encouraged by a new interest in learning about the ancient Greeks and Romans and their teachings, their democracy, and their thirst for knowledge. In fact, leaders of the movement designed Florence as a "new Athens" after discovering many books and writings from ancient times. The characteristics of this early movement were nearly all intellectual. People read more, patronized and supported the arts, and encouraged learning, personal and civic growth, and generally emerged from the "dark ages."
The arts flourished during this time, and no one really knows why. However, numerous artists rose to prominence during the Early Renaissance, and influenced those who came after. Public buildings were adorned with carvings and sculpture, painting thrived, and churches were decorated with paintings, frescoes, sculpture, and beautiful decorations inside and out. The Renaissance celebrated beauty and intellect, and the two combined to produce some of the best artwork and craftsmen the world has ever known, like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, and many, many more. This was partly because there was wealth enough to patronize the arts, and partly because the Medicis made it fashionable to commission public and private works from local artists. For example, the architect Brunelleschi created buildings that were testaments to the ancient buildings of Rome and Greece, which he studied. He designed the dome of the cathedral in Florence with these classic buildings in mind, and changed architecture from the gaudy medieval cathedrals to a more stately and dignified portrayal of religious belief and utility. Michelangelo rose to prominence under patronage by the Medicis, and his classic statue "The Pieta" was commissioned by a French cardinal, who originally planned to use the piece as a memorial on his own tomb. This is quite common of art at the time; it was commissioned by the powerful and the wealthy for their own enjoyment, but began to be shared with everyone. Thus, the intellectuals were envisioning the art and supporting it, but it was spreading throughout the people, becoming more and more popular, and changing the culture, the intellect, and the understanding of all.
The Medicis were able to gain power by their wealth and influence rather than military might. As they ruled Italy, they were not always popular, but their rule helps show the shift in Italy from medieval, feudal times to the Renaissance and beyond. Learning and the arts became much more important and stressed, but the entire world was changing. Merchants were no longer the most powerful class, the capitalists were,
However, despite this revival of intellect, many European towns use lead pipes in the early fifteenth century. Centuries beforehand, this lesson was learned the hard way by the Romans who stayed away from the poisonous metal. As the nasty affects of lead poisoning slowly became associated with the lead pipes, many European towns turned to using iron pipes to irrigate their water. This was actual one of the most
As a result of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, James II was deposed, and William of Orange was invited to become king on condition that he agreed to a new Bill of Rights and a Constitutional Agreement with Parliament. By contrast, France's political absolutism was centered on strengthening the power of the French kings, and weakening that of the nobles. It was established and consolidated during the reign of
The decision to intervene in Latin American revolutions however brought internal conflict to the Concert, with Britain refusing to take part. The premise was that Britain's trade and profit from the Spanish would be lost with the end of the rebellion. 6. The Revolutions of 1848 took place throughout Europe as a result of cumulative political and economic issues. The economy was experiencing a downturn in concomitance with the historical
Western Civilization From Prehistory to the Renaissance Early Civilizations What do historians mean by "pre-history?" What was life like for early humans during these years? There are many things that we as citizens of the modern world take for granted. First among these is probably the enormous amount of recorded information that we have at our fingertips. Everything from our purchases, to our places of employment, to the times and places of our births
Still one of the crucial elements in this sense was the spread of Christianity. Constantine was the one who believed in a revelation that determined him to raise his children in the Christian faith and acknowledged Christianity as a religion (Potter, 2004). The main point for this decision was the desire to unite the empire under a common belief. The Christian belief was in total opposition to the pagan
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