The Italian Renaissance - Essay Example

The Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance The Italian renaissance refers to the period of great cultural change and achievements which transpired in Italy from the late 13th century until the 16th century (Plumb, 2001). It was the transitional period between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. The word renaissance implies rebirth. Thus, the renaissance period marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. It was a period replete with a myriad of innovations and astounding discoveries. In addition, it was characterized by magnificent architecture and immaculate art. This can be attributed to the support commissioned to the great artists by wealthy Italian merchants and political officials. Thus, the renaissance in Italy was sustained by the country’s inherent wealth. Italy was a hub of prosperity. It was an international trading centre with a substantial number of bankers, merchants as well as lawyers Despite the fact that it eventually spread throughout Europe, renaissance is deemed to have began in the great city-sates of Italy. As such, the most powerful city states include Venice, Milan, the Papal States and Florence (Plumb, 2001). Each of the states developed its distinct features. For instance, Florence, which is perceived as the birthplace of renaissance, was characterized by a distinct leadership under the Medici family, which played a pivotal role in maintaining the financial strength and artistic developments of the city. Conversely, in the Papal States, the Pope was bestowed the responsibility to run the Catholic Church as well as to rule Rome. With time, Papacy became more of an international political seat than a spiritual position. On the other hand, Venice and Milan grew into more wealthy and powerful cities which played integral roles in the Italian politics of the time. These two cities attracted a myriad of artists and writers. Whereas Venice was ruled by a great council of noble families, Milan developed a strong monarchy which is credited for producing a series of powerful dukes. The most eminent feature that characterized the renaissance was the advancement of art and the development of new techniques and styles. It was during the early period of renaissance that there cropped a new generation of prominent painters including Giotto, and excellent sculptors such as Ghiberti, among others. Moreover, the high renaissance period saw the proliferation of prominent artists such as the famous Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo as well as Raphael (Hartt & Wilkins, 2010). The renaissance period also perpetuated the invention of printing as well as the rise of literature as an integral aspect of life. According to Hartt & Wilkins (2010), this saw the growth of a new breed of renowned Italian writers such as Boccaccio, Niccolo Machiavelli and Pico, whose works have been very outstanding. Be that as it may, the Italian renaissance culture did not endure a lifetime. Thus, the onset of 1494 which saw the French invasion in Italy perpetuated the coming of foreign powers in the Italian peninsula. This led to the gradual collapse of the renaissance with its climax being the in 1527 when foreign occupation in Italy reached its apex. Indeed, the foreigners placed several restrictions to Rome, which was under Charles V as the emperor. A profusion of censorships were placed on the Catholic Church, coupled with a series of economic restrictions on most Italian states. According to Hartt & Wilkins (2010), the Ottoman invasion and the internal conflicts within and among the sates, destabilized Italy as well. This way, the spirit of renaissance was crushed down marking the end of Italy as a cradle of prosperity in artistic, intellectual and economic domains. The Five Powers During the Italian renaissance, five prominent units dominated the political affairs of Italy. For instance, hereditary monarchs dominated the Kingdom of the Naples in far south. However, the Naples kingdom fell to the monarchy of Aragon in the fifteenth century. On the other hand, the Papal States were situated north of the kingdom of Naples. They were ruled from Rome by the Pope. The other three city sates, Florence, Venice and Milan were situated in Northern Italy. Venice and Florence were republics, whereas Milan was ruled by a single aristocratic family. Prior to 1450, political turmoil and chaos characterized the Italian peninsula. As such, it was marred by a series of foreign invasions, political rivalries, inter-city and inter-state wars, internal insurrections among many others. However, after the middle of the 15th century the city states restored some order. This can be attributed to the development of centralized forms of governments. Thus, there was the establishment of a new military government in Milan, under Francesco Sforza. In the south, the kingdom of the Naples was taken over by the Aragonese, thus restoring order. In the Papal States, the end of the Great Schism which allowed the Popes to restore authority marked the beginning of order. In addition, there was the creation of diplomatic balance of power within the Italian peninsula following the restoration of internal order. For instance, there was an alliance between Milan and Florence, as well as between Venice and Naples. Venice: A seaborne empire Venice is situated on the Adriatic Sea. This facilitated extensive trading with the Byzantine Empire as well as the Moslem world. By the end of thirteenth century, Venice recorded exemplary prosperity and had become the most prosperous city in the whole Europe. At this time, there was a stiff conquest between the leading families in Venice, to construct palaces and support the developing artists. Venice city was ruled by the Great Council. This was comprised of members from the most influential and powerful families in Venice. The Great Council was empowered to appoint all public officials as well as to elect a senate of up to 300 persons. In addition, the senate could choose a Council of Ten, which was a secretive group that held great powers in the overall administration of the city (Hartt & Wilkins, 2010). Furthermore, one members of the Council of Ten was elected to become a Duke, which was a rather ceremonial had of Venice city. The duke, otherwise known as the doge, ruled for life basing on the constitutional monarch system. Indeed, the Doge of Venice ruled the city in great splendor. All the laws in the city were passed in his name. Nonetheless, his power was greatly limited by the Great Council and the Council of Ten. A notable doge during the Italian renaissance is Francesco Fosari, who ruled with excessive grander than any other doge had ever ruled with (Hartt & Wilkins, 2010). He was characterized with excessive aggressiveness especially when it came to pursing the policy of western expansion. He was however forced to resign by the Council of Ten. This was a deliberate action to affirm the power of the Council of Ten over the monarchy. Nevertheless, the late fifteenth century and the onset of the sixteenth century saw Venice face political hurdles. As such, it was assailed by the Ottoman Turks at sea as well as the Holy League against Venice. The city however proved difficult to conquer and therefore survived the onslaught. Florence: The spinning cloth into gold More often than not, Florence is perceived as the birthplace of the Italian renaissance. As such it is the cradle for the early writers and artists on the Renaissance. Florence was the center for European wool trade. Thus, the political power of the city was bestowed among the wealthy merchants who dominated the wool industry. These wealthy merchants established magnificent mansions in the city, contributed to the construction of cathedrals and built villas in the country, thereby spawning the physical rebirth of Florence city. Florence city was under the Medici family, which entirely controlled the city throughout renaissance. So to speak, the Medici family played a significant role in the patronage of the renaissance art as well as the political development of the city. In this regards, Giovanni de Medici, a prominent banker to the papal court was an influential citizen who held virtually every political office in Florence. At his death in 1429, Giovanni left a legacy of support for art and important political role. His son named Cosimo de Medici took over and began ruling the city of Florence. After his death in 1464, he was succeeded by his son named Piero who ruled for five years (Hartt & Wilkins, 2010). Peiro was succeeded by Cosimo’s grandson named Lorenzo de Medici. Lorenzo was the most powerful leader as compared to all the other preceding leaders. His reign saw the economy of Florence city prosper to large extents. He ameliorated the living standards especially among the lower class. Furthermore, commercial activities perpetuated, and art flourished. In addition, Lorenzo’s astounding developments in Florence bolstered its importance and made it the most beautiful of all the cities in Europe. Even so, the Medici family was subjected to a strong force of uprising championed by a fanatical priest named Girolamo Savonarola (Kishlansky, Geary & OBrien, 2010). He embarked on a mission to preach against the paganism that had marred the renaissance. He succeeded to oust the Medici family form power in 1494 and assumed the leadership of Florence. With the aim of reviving the medieval spirit, Savonarola drafted the new draconian constitution. Moreover, he instructed the combustion of a myriad of literature and painting that were considered immoral. When Savonarola called for the immediate deposal of the Roman Pope Alexander VI, he was declared a heretic and was therefore burned (Kishlansky, Geary & OBrien, 2010). This reverted the leadership of Florence city to the Medici. The End of Italian Hegemony, 1450-1527 Indeed, Italy enjoyed inexorable cultural, economic as well as political hegemony over other states in the Western Europe during the Renaissance. However, with time, the political empires of the five major city-sates of Italy weakened. They were subjected to a series of threats by the expanding Ottoman Empire which was under Mehmed II. The Ottoman Empire conquered the Byzantine Empire and extended their reign to the Balkan Peninsula as well. Their inexorable expansion therefore posed a major threat to the Venetians. Ultimately, the Venetians lost their seaborne empire in the East to the Ottomans. Apart from the threat from the Ottomans, the Italian states also faced a challenge of individual conflicts. In this regards the states plunged themselves into unnecessary conflicts which ended up destroying the equilibrium of political power in the Italian peninsular (Kishlansky, Geary & OBrien, 2010). Thus, the outstanding Italian power was ultimately destroyed by the Italian wars. From the foregoing discussion, it can be concluded that the Italian renaissance was a transitional period between the medieval and the Early modern Age Europe. It was extensively characterized by a myriad of in cultural, economic and political developments. Much of these were experienced in the most powerful Italian city states of Venice, Milan, Florence and the Papal states. References Hartt, F., & Wilkins, D. (2010). History of Italian renaissance art. (7 ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Kishlansky, M., Geary, P., & OBrien, P. (2010). The Italian renaissance. Retrieved from http://wps.ablongman.com/long_kishlansky_cw_5/4/1051/269069.cw/index.html Plumb, J. H. (2001). The Italian renaissance. New York: Mariner Books. Read More