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Impact of the Renaissance Florence
The impact of the Renaissance in Italy
The impact of the Renaissance in Italy
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Emergent ideas of individual interests held great influence over human behaviour and relationships between individuals in Renaissance era Italy. In Florence in particular, the ideas of antiquity that dealt with human interests began to press significant influence over the relationships between individuals. For example, Burckhardt examines Niccolo Niccoli, a man influenced by heavily by antiquarian ideas, considering both his attire and behaviour for their expression of individualism. For example, Niccoli dressed himself in long robes, spoke to others kindly, maintained bodily cleanliness and decorated his home with symbols of the classical age. The instruction that influenced this individual were drawn not from religious instruction, but rather
“I’ll be out of here and away from all you knaves for one time anyway, as not a month will pass before you’ll see whether I’m nobody or a somebody.” The story of Bianco Alfani reflected the nature of 14th century Florentine society where, as Alfani remarked, the election to public office could make or destroy a person. In late 14th century and early 15th century Florence, decreased population and expanding commerce provided a favorable environment for ambitious individuals. The real life examples of Buonaccorso Pitti and Gregorio Dati demonstrated the positive role of ambition in Florence. Pitti, a nobleman had an extremely successful career, partaking in military campaigns, holding public office in Florence and being an ambassador to foreign courts. Gregorio Dati, the grandson of purse venders, engaged in commerce, rising in social standing which culminated with his election to public office. Holding office was a definitive sign of success and recognition in Florence. In contrast was the tale Bianco Alfani, a deemed man unworthy of office. As told by Piero Veneziano, Alfani was the chief jailor in Florence who was duped into believing he had been named captain of the town of Norcia. Alfani publicly made a fool of himself, spending all his money and creating a great fanfare over his supposed appointment. Comparing the lives of Pitti and Dati to the story of Bianco Alfani illustrates how economic and social change in 14th century Florence produced a culture centered on reputation and commerce. For men like Pitti and Dati, who flourished within the constraints of Florentine society, their reward was election to office, a public mark of acceptance and social standing. Those who were ambitious but failed to abide by the values o...
In the traditional political history of Italy the people outside of the ruling class of the society were rarely studied. Only with the use of social history did the issues of class and gender begin to be debated by scholars. Numerous recent articles have done a great job of analysing particularly men of high status. In this paper I will look at the lower classes of Renaissance Florence. More specifically, I will center my focus on the lives of women during this era, how they were treated and viewed by people of other classes and how women were viewed and treated by men.
The beginning of individualism’s gradual evolution was first manifested in the Renaissance Era. The Renaissance was a ripe time ready for change. The weakening role of the Catholic Church led to an increase in power for the masses. Corruption plagued Church officials and many sought theological respite elsewhere. The reemphasis of ancient Greek and Roman texts proffered alternatives for many to satisfy their religious needs. This helped contribute to the abolishment of the Church’s imposition of its absolute truth and its claim to ultimate authority. As the church lost power, so did the political units. The bonds between church and state began to erode. Feudalism declined, hence giving rise to new political opportunity. The noble class no longer held a monopoly on the valued positions in society. Rather, one was able to pursue wealth and fame through various endeavors ranging from artist to soldier.
Sofonisba Anguissola is a very good example of individualism in the Renaissance. She painted several self-portraits, such as the one above, as well as portraits of other people. Strayer defines the individualism movement as “a new emphasis on man as a private person, mainly concerned with himself” (Strayer). It can obviously be seen that Anguissola cared for herself very much as it took a very long time to make a single portrait and to do one of herself must have been very complex. The people that she painted portraits of are also examples of individualism. They had to commission an artist and pose for hours to just have a picture of themself. This behavior of appreciating yourself and your own talents was very different from the Middle Ages,
Prostitution is normally thought of as anyone who sells his or her body for money. In this century, no distinction is put on the class level of the prostitute or on how much or how little he or she earns, they are still considered just a common prostitute. This was not true of 16th century Italy, though. In this age, prostitution was a legal business and class lines were of great importance. At the top of this list were the honest courtesans; honest because they believed they acquired their capital through honest means. They redefined the male humanist category of virtue as a woman's intellectual integrity and used this, their outstanding wit and intelligence, along with their bodies to earn their living. The courtesans of Italy, especially Venice and Rome, were the flowers of the city. Visited almost exclusively by the men of the upper class, the courtesans had to project an image of sophistication and nobility. They held their own with the male nobility and were often admired and considered intellectual equals by these men. Unlike the imprisoned and sheltered noble women of Italy, either enslaved in an arranged marriage or locked up in a convent, the courtesans were independent and free to do as they wished. Precursors to the modern women of today, the courtesans of 16th century Italy were intelligent and well read, they earned their living by their beauty and wit, and were mistresses of their own fate.
During the renaissance, there was a renewed interest in the arts, and the traditional views of society came into question. People began to explore the power of the human mind. A term often used to describe the increasing interest in the powers of the human mind is humanism. Generally, humanism stresses the individual's creative, reasoning, and aesthetic powers. However, during the Renaissance, individual ideas about humanism differed.
The Renaissance, occurring from approximately 1300 to 1600 CE, was a period that began in Florence, Italy and spread to other parts of Western Europe (Fiero, 377). During this time humanism became an ideal that the culture revolved around. Humanism is a philosophy that focused on the abilities of humans and the importance of goodness, needs and rationality rather than the theistic beliefs religion offered (“Humanism”). Humanism was based around the strengths of humans. The result of this was a vast dominance of the arts during this time. Art, architecture, music, poetry and more were encouraged because they exhibited the talents and intellectuality humans had to offer. One of the main influences present during the Italian Renaissance in not only Florence but other European countries was the de’ Medici family.
Female Humanists in Renaissance Italy Arcangela Tarabotti, like many young girls in Renaissance Italy, had parents who could not afford a sufficient dowry to purchase their daughter a good marriage. In order to protect their honor and her virginity, they sent Tarabotti away to a convent against her will. Here she lived out the rest of her unhappy life as a nun. What sets her apart from other girls of similar circumstance is that she became one of the few female humanist writers. The story of Tarabotti and the other female humanists I will discuss in this chapter demonstrates not only the oppression of women in Renaissance society, but also how women found ways to work around their circumstances.
Individualism and Fascism Modern political thought has given a considerable amount of attention to the conception of the individual's function in modern society. In this paper, I will discuss the fascist philosophy of individualism. Using the Italian philosopher Alfredo Rocco's arguments on this topic, I will consider how Liberalism, Democracy and Socialism are closely related, while Fascism can be seen as the true antithesis to Liberalism. In this process, I will review Fascism and its principles. I will also elaborate upon the similarities between Ernst Huber's personal liberty and Karl Marx's ideas of personal property and the need to eliminate these freedoms for the benefit of the State.
After review, I have chosen the philosopher, Nicolo Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher, statesman, and historian during the Renaissance Era which is “a period in European civilization immediately following the middle ages and conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in Classical scholarship and values”. Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469 and passed away on June 21, 1527. His place of birth was Florence, Italy. (1) He was the third child and first son of Bernardo di Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli’s mother, Bartolomeo di Stefano Nelli. Machiavelli was born during social unrest and violent times. The Machiavelli family was wealthy and prominent. In the past, the Machiavelli had held prominent offices
The Italian Renaissance brought a new and stimulating attitude to the table, with the concept of modern and ancient times combining through art and architecture and a society that wasn’t theological or scientific but centered on civics, posing questions about how humans ought to be or do. Renaissance Italy had been divided since the fall of Rome and with the different city-states governed by a wide variety of governments politics was extremely weak during that time. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote one of the most important documents in Renaissance Italy and history in general, The Prince, which dictated how leaders acted around him and could be interpreted as a guide to how the leaders should be acting. This document would be used as a blueprint for the unification of Italy but also proved to be of use to modern politicians when applied to the world we see today. The political weaknesses in Renaissance Italy were
2016 Advameg, I. (2007, April 30). Countries and Their Cultures. Retrieved May 18, 2016, from Italy: http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Italy.html
To conclude, the Italian Renaissance was a time of immense change. The focus was on improving ones self, and on becoming a well rounded, cultured person. Niccolo Machiavelli, in chapter eighteen of his book “The Prince”, displays his realist thinking through his references to ancient literature and Greek mythology and through his realist advice on how to be successful leader by using cunning and deceit.
Giovanni Boccaccio lived amid the start of the Italian Renaissance, which was a time of critical change in Italy, and in whatever is left of Europe. Sickness and changes to the European climate designs prompted changes in populace area and mass. New social classes risen as the vendor class ascended in power and the financial aspects of Europe started changing from agribusiness to exchange. Also, the rediscovery of established learning and workmanship prompted new thoughts and the development of urban colleges. Accordingly of these strengths, fourteenth century Italy moved from a farming society to an inexorably urbane and learned society.
Leonardo and other Renaissance artists would not have been as successful or have the impact that they had if it were not for Patronage. Again, the influence the Medici family had upon the to the Italian Renaissance cannot be stated enough. Particularly Cosimo and Lorenzo Medici used their family’s financial capital to achieve political power, but also affect many Italians perception of reality. The Renaissance was about the move away from scholasticism toward humanism, but to not fully devoid the scholasticism’s existence and doing so by providing balance between the two. There is an important lesson to take from this its application to contemporary leadership. In order for leader’s ideas to take shape and reach the masses, we to need patrons who are willing to sponsor our visions. This sponsor does not necessarily need to be in the form of financial capital, rather, it is the support by believing and understanding that greatness comes from the unknown. Leadership in the 21st century is filled with qualified candidates that would serve as a “Modern-Day Medici”. These notable people include the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Paul Allen to name a few.