The Renaissance: Political, Economic and Social Causes - Essay Example

1 The Renaissance: Political, Economic and Social Causes. The fall of the Roman Empire at the end of the fifth century marked the beginning of the Middle or Medieval Ages in Europe. This period is often referred to as the Dark Ages, connoting the intellectual and economic stagnation which characterized the age. The Catholic Church was the predominant power and exerted a stultifying influence on society, advocating abstinence and self-denial. A rigid hierarchical social structure, based on the feudalist system of the largely agrarian economy, resulted in disparate political units, constituted by the lord and his vassals, constantly engaged in warfare. Europe was in the throes of an economic depression, which held back development in all areas. The latter part of the Middle Ages witnessed changes, which ultimately led to the blossoming of the Renaissance, or Rebirth, towards the end of the fourteenth century. This spurt in creative thinking and expression is generally acknowledged to have extended from 1350 – 1550 and was marked by an outburst of energy in art, architecture, science, literature and intellectual thought.1 The cradle of the Renaissance was the Italian City–States, whose extraordinary creativity and power was the direct result of political, economic and social changes which preceded the great reawakening. Europe’s political scene at the end of the Middle Ages was dominated by the struggle for power between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy. Frequent disputes between the Guelphs, who were supporters of the Papacy and the Ghibellines, advocates of the imperial claims of the Holy Roman Empire, led to a continuous struggle for political power and military dominance. This left Italy to her own devices and led to a large number of self-governing communes, with constantly changing borders and fickle 2loyalties. By the middle of the twelfth century, these communes consolidated themselves into independent city-states, which included the city and the surrounding countryside. Italy was divided into the Northern city-states, of which Venice, Florence and Milan were the dominant powers, the Papal States of central Italy and the Southern monarchy of Naples. The old, established ruling class of the nobility, called the grandi, was gradually replaced by the newly emerging class of wealthy guildsmen, or popolo. The people selected a leader from the nobility, who, on becoming the head of the state, would usurp total authority and establish despotism and hereditary rule: as in the case of Cosimo de Medici in Florence. In other circumstances, neutral officials, called the podesta, selected as a compromise candidate to rule a city governed by warring factions for a limited period, would make their positions permanent. The third path to political dominance was through military command. The City-States, in their continuous struggle against each other, hired mercenaries called the condottieri, who then usurped power from their masters: this happened in the case of Frances Sforza of Milan. The rise of the City-States as autonomous powers, coupled with the rise of the despots, stabilized the politics of Italy. Venice was an oligarchic republic of merchants, governed by the Great Council. Florence was dominated by the Medici family. Francesco Sforza established a military government in Milan. The return of the Papacy from Avignon to Rome stabilized the Papal States. The Peace of Lodi, in 1454, brought about a balance of power and the avoidance of foreign intervention. A system of diplomatic relationships between allies and with potential enemies, maintained with ambassadors, furthered communication between the States and provided for the peaceful arbitration of disputes. The end of 3internal strife and inter-city wars for supremacy in trade and influence, coupled with the cessation of the struggle for autonomy from the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope, brought about unprecedented peace and political stability. This political climate directly contributed to the blossoming of the Renaissance.2 Drastic changes in the economy also contributed to the evolution of the City-States and the birth of the Renaissance. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was sparsely populated and remained a rural region with an agrarian economy until the eleventh century. A period of urbanization began in the twelfth century, which continued, to peak in the next century, resulting in the creation of the Italian City-States. These States emerged as centers of trade, due to their geographical location on the trade routes between the Eastern Byzantine Empire and Western Europe. Venice, in particular, became the dominant naval power of the Mediterranean and the most powerful center of trade in Europe. Urbanization led to the creation of a more homogenous community and the promotion of craft. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Italian City-States were established as the predominant centers of international trade and finance. Earlier, the Catholic Church had condemned usury, or the lending of money at interest, as a mortal sin. This has blocked the development of banking as a commercial enterprise. The City-States became the center of banking in Europe, especially Florence, which also became a textile hub, exporting woolen cloth to other nations.3 The bubonic plague, or Black Death, of the thirteenth century had decimated the population of Italy, leaving the survivors with 4a greater share of the available resources and increasing the cost of labor. The stagnant economy recovered, along with the subsequent growth in population. As demand increased in the market economy, it was easier to earn a livelihood and the laborers had more disposable income. As the price of food and basic necessities decreased, investors ceased to be attracted by investment in traditional land and the textile industry. All strata of society became infected by consumerism, encouraging the production of luxury goods. Florence was renowned for silk and jewelry, while Venice’s fine glass industry and spices trade thrived. This culture of conspicuous consumerism directly impacted the Renaissance, as artists and craftsmen were commissioned by the nobility and the large, wealthy middle class to execute works of art at high prices. Artists, architects, painters and sculptors thrived on the encouragement received from the wealthy patrons of the City-States. Art was almost a business.4 The social structure underwent a marked transformation in the latter part of the Middle Ages. The Black Death accelerated the transition from the feudal structure to that of tenant ownership of land, bringing an end to the lord – vassal relationship. The emergence of the Italian City-States as centers of commerce and trade led to changes in the social structure. Earlier, the nobility, who owned the land, constituted the wealthy upper class. This changed with the focus on commerce. The nobility, notorious for their dissipated lifestyle, were prone to borrow money from the middle class bankers and merchants and were forced to transfer their property to the lenders when they defaulted on their loans. This ultimately led to the creation of a new, wealthy commercial class, which used its’ financial resources to consolidate political power and established itself as 5the new elite in society. The nobility remained at the top of the social hierarchy, along with the wealthy merchant class. This was followed by the newly emergent capitalist and banker class, with vast financial resources. The next group was comprised of the less wealthy trades people and at the end of the pile came the impoverished lower classes, who made up the larger part of the population. The culture of mercantilism led to a more rigid stratification of society and also led to the reemergence of slavery in Italy The disparity in wealth between the various classes was very pronounced.5 Social class was based, not on birth, but on wealth and occupation and expenditure on luxuries, such as art objects, was a symbol of social cachet. Portraits were commissioned not just as works of art, but as statements of social standing. This social development helped the artists of the Renaissance. The patronage of the new merchant – princes directly contributed to rising standards of craftsmanship. Social status was determined by participation in the marketplace. This also led to a demand for civic architecture.6 In conclusion, it can be said that the political, economic and social developments of the Middle Ages had a direct impact on the creativity and power of the City-States, as expressed in the Italian Renaissance. The consolidation of political power in the hands of benevolent despots, or oligarchies, put an end to armed strife and produced a stable environment for artistic and literary endeavor. The resurgent economy, based on the commerce and trade of the new merchant class, generated disposable wealth and a demand for luxuries, which encouraged the emergence of art as a profitable livelihood. The changing social structure, with its’ emphasis on wealth, again encouraged artistic expression, as the newly rich patronized the artisans and craftsmen. These changes were the direct contributors to the blossoming of the Renaissance in the City-States of Italy. References. Duffy, Shannon. World Civilizations. Renaissance. Loyola University New Orleans. http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/renaissance.html (Accessed 30 April 30, 2007). Gilbert, William. 1996. The Book. Carrie Electronic Library. Chapter 3. The Italian City-States of the Renaissance. http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/03.html (Accessed 30 April 2007). Hooker, Richard. 1999. Washington State University. World Civilizations. Background to the Italian Renaissance. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/REN/BACK.HTM (Accessed 30 April 2007). SparkNotes. 2006 Study Guide. Italian Renaissance (1330-1550). http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/renaissance1/context.html (Accessed on 30 April 2007). Read More