PAGE 15 LECTURE 4 THE TRANSITION: FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN EUROPE (THE RENAISSANCE), 14th-17thCenturies I. The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Learning (1300-1650) A. The word “renaissance” means “rebirth” or “revival” B. In history, this word refers to a 300-year period in Europe that in Western Europe marked the revival of art, literature and learning 1. It is significant that this revival served as a bridge, or transition, between medieval and modern Western Europe 2. We find a greater level of achievement and European self-consciousness C. Some historians have argued that this period represented a sharp break with the past, while others have noted that the change was more evolutionary or an outgrowth of the Later Middle Ages 1. It is true that the Reinassance had roots in many aspects of the medieval heritage, especially the church-run universities of learning, the forms and subject matter of literature, and the rudiments of science 2. Of course, the emphasis of intellectual trends began to change more noticeably after the 14th century II. Distinctive Features of the Renaissance A. It began with: 1. The rediscovery of the Greco-Roman civilization, which had been generally neglected during the Middle Ages 2. Emphasized reason, a questioning attitude, experimentation, and free inquiry—in contrast with the medieval concern with religious faith, authority, and tradition 3. The Renaissance glorified the individual and approved of worldly pleasures, viewing life as worthwhile for its own sake, not chiefly as preparation for the hereafter 4. Focused attention upon worldly matters arising out of a secular society (secularization), rather than the medieval preoccupation with the Roman Catholic Church and religious affairs 5. Finally, the Renaissance featured great achievements in literature, art, and science III. The Renaissance Started in Italy A. Arose first in Italian cities because: 1. As the center of Greco-Roman culture, Italy contained sculptures, buildings, roads, and manuscripts that excited curiosity about classical (ancient) civilization 2. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Italy had absorbed stimulating new ideas from the Byzantine and Muslim worlds 3. Benefiting from the revival of trade that resulted from the Crusades in the Middle Ages, Italy had wealthy, influential people who became patrons (supporters) of literature, art, and science (much later in history, it was the state and its governmental structures that did the same thing) a. Some examples of leading Renaissance patrons included: certain Popes in Rome (Bishop of Rome), wealthy .

1. PAGE
15
LECTURE 4
THE TRANSITION: FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN
EUROPE (THE RENAISSANCE), 14th-17thCenturies
I. The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Learning (1300-1650)
A. The word “renaissance” means “rebirth” or “revival”
B. In history, this word refers to a 300-year period in
Europe that in Western Europe marked the revival of art,
literature and learning
1. It is significant that this revival served as a bridge, or
transition, between medieval and modern Western
Europe
2. We find a greater level of achievement and

2. European self-consciousness
C. Some historians have argued that this period represented a
sharp break with the past, while others have noted that the
change was more evolutionary or an outgrowth of the
Later Middle Ages
1. It is true that the Reinassance had roots in many
aspects of the medieval heritage, especially the
church-run universities of learning, the forms and
subject matter of literature, and the rudiments of
science
2. Of course, the emphasis of intellectual trends began
to change more noticeably after the 14th century
II. Distinctive Features of the Renaissance
A. It began with:

3. 1. The rediscovery of the Greco-Roman civilization,
which had been generally neglected during the
Middle Ages
2. Emphasized reason, a questioning attitude,
experimentation, and free inquiry—in contrast with
the medieval concern with religious faith, authority,
and tradition
3. The Renaissance glorified the individual and
approved of worldly pleasures, viewing life as
worthwhile for its own sake, not chiefly as

4. preparation for the hereafter
4. Focused attention upon worldly matters arising out
of a secular society (secularization), rather than the
medieval preoccupation with the Roman Catholic
Church and religious affairs
5. Finally, the Renaissance featured great achievements
in literature, art, and science
III. The Renaissance Started in Italy
A. Arose first in Italian cities because:
1. As the center of Greco-Roman culture, Italy

5. contained sculptures, buildings, roads, and
manuscripts that excited curiosity about
classical (ancient) civilization
2. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Italy had
absorbed stimulating new ideas from the Byzantine
and Muslim worlds
3. Benefiting from the revival of trade that resulted
from the Crusades in the Middle Ages, Italy had
wealthy, influential people who became patrons
(supporters) of literature, art, and science (much

6. later in history, it was the state and its governmental
structures that did the same thing)
a. Some examples of leading Renaissance patrons
included: certain Popes in Rome (Bishop of
Rome), wealthy merchants in Venice, and the
Sforza family in Milan, and Medici family in
Florence
b. Some scholars have maintained that

7. historically speaking, Italy is the idea of
“Europe”—at the crossroads between the
Middle East, Africa and the rest of Europe,
invaded a settled by many peoples since
ancient times—Etruscans, Phoenicians,
Greeks, Romans, Muslisms, and Germanic
tribes, and the seat of the Roman Catholic
Church in Rome, etc.
1) Culturally and ethnically, a composite of

8. European history, past and present
IV. FLORENCE: The preeminent Italian Renaissance City
A. Florence is considered usually as the outstanding
city of the Renaissance
B. In the 1400s, it came under the rule of Medici
family, originally a merchant family who
amassed a
fortune in the wool trade, and expanded into banking
1. They soon became the outstanding patrons of
Renaissance art
C. Florence had many residents who achieved fame as

9. Renaissance painters, sculptors, architects, and
writers
1. By virtue of its achievements and talent and
leadership in the arts, the city attracted talented
people from all parts of Italy, thus aquiring
many priceless works of art
D. Today, Florence continues to attract tourists eager
to view its churches, palaces, and libraries with their

10. Renaissance treasures
V. The Renaissance Spread
A. In the 15th century, Renaissance ideas began to spread
from Italy to France, the German states, Holland, and
England
1. This cultural diffusion resulted from religious,
military, and commercial contacts
B. Also, many northern scholars traveled to Italy to absorb
Italian art and learning
VI. Humanism Illustrated the Renaissance Spirit
A. Definition of Humanism: a literary movement that began
in 14th-century Italy and typified the Renaissance spirit
B. Humanists were concerned with 3 issues in particular:

11. 1. Everyday human problems, and not as much with
religious matters
2. Drew inspiration from classical (ancient)
civilization, eagerly seeking, studying, and
publicizing ancient Greek and Roman manuscripts
a. Many ancient classical texts, ironically, were
preserved for centuries by Muslim scholars in
the Middle East and in the Byzantine Empire)
3. Finally, humanists were concerned with reviving
interest, above all among educated people, in

12. literature and writing
4. Examples of early humanist writers:
a. Petrarch (1304-1374): Italian; studied the
classics and wrote in both Italian and Latin; in
his poetry he expressed romantic love and an
appreciation of nature
b. Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494): Italian,
who lived for a time in Florence, and was a

13. scholar of law, philosophy, Greek, Latin,
Hebrew, and Arabic; his writings
expressed
Unorthodox religious ideas—resulting in his
being censured (silenced) by the Catholic
Church—and he wrote of the dignity of human
beings
c. Erasmus (1466-1536): Dutch, a brilliant
classical scholar; in his book, Praise of Folly,
he ridiculed superstition, prejudice, upper class

14. privileges, and Church abuses; by satirizing
social evils, Erasmus encouraged people to
think about reforms in society
d. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535): English, wrote
Utopia (means literally “Nowhere,” and today
refers to an ideal state), a book that portrayed
an ideal country, free from war, injustice,
poverty, and ignorance
VII. The Vernacular Replaced Latin in Literature

15. A. During the Middle Ages in western Europe, Latin was the
language of literature, of the Roman Catholic Church,
and of the few educated people
1. Over the centuries, however, other languages
evolved through everyday usage, including some of
the descendants of the Roman (Latin) tongue, the so-
called Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian)
2. Other languages like English and German evolved
2. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, writers began to
use their own native national languages (or the

16. vernacular) in addition to Latin = later writers
discarded Latin altogether
3. Some early Renaissance writers who used the
vernacular:
a. Dante (1265-1321): Italian born in Florence;
served in different city government positions in
Florence until exiled by hostile political
Opponents

17. 1) Known as the “father of modern Italian”
and was the first to write an important
book in his own national language called
the Divine Comedy, a long poem which
ranks among the greatest literary
masterpieces; this poem tells of Dante’s
make-believe journey through hell,

18. purgatory (for suffering souls), and
heaven, during which one of his travel
guides in the Roman poet Vergil
b. Chaucer (1340-1400): English, and became
familiar with Dante’s works while traveling to
Italy; he used English in his collection of
stories in verse, the Canterbury Tales =
supposedly, these stories were told by religious
pilgrims journeying to the religious shrine

19. at Canterbury
VIII. The Invention of Printing Encouraged Literature
A. In 1453, printing with movable type was invented by a
German named Johann Gutenberg (famous Gutenberg
Bible)
1. It was a tremendous event, as it made printing books
faster and cheaper, more so than the old medieval
method of hand copying books
B. The greater availability of books promoted learning and
iteracy (ability to read) among the population, especially the
urban middle and merchant classes
C. Also, the availability of printing encouraged talented

20. people to write
IX. Renaissance Literary Achievements (Examples):
A. Machiavelli (1469-1527): Italian, born in Florence,
served in the Florentine Republic as a secretary and
diplomat, gaining first-hand political experience; later he
was dismissed from office and permitted to retire at
his
country home where he devoted himself to writing
1. His most famous work is The Prince: his major work
on political ethics and government, describing
realistically how rulers hold onto power by methods
that ignore right and wrong and accept the
philosophy that “the end justifies the means”

21. a. He did not necessarily endorse this kind of
politics, but he was probably trying to be
realistically descriptive of what in fact takes
places
b. Our word “Machiavellian” has come to mean
“cunning and unscrupulous” (with no moral
qualms or hesitation)
B. Cervantes (1547-1616): Spanish; he ridiculed feudal
society, especially knighthood and chivalry, when
relating the adventures of the mad-knight of La Mancha,
Don Quixote

22. C. Shakespeare (1564-1616): English, is often considered
the greatest poet and playwright of all time; an excellent
writer, with powerful lines and striking images
1. In his plays, he used superb dramatic technique to
probe historical events and human character; some of
his best known plays include the histories Henry IV
and Henry V; the comedies Twelfth Night and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream; and the tragedies Romeo
and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth
D. Milton (1608-1672): English, retold the Biblical story of
the Creation and the Garden of Eden in his epic poem,
Paradise Lost = he also strongly promoted the freedom of
the press in one of his political essays

23. X. Characteristics of Renaissance Art:
A. Influence of classical Greece and Rome, especially in
sculpture and architecture
B. Renaissance paiting emphasized realism, attention to
detail, and a desire for perfection (especially of the human
form)
C. Early Renaissance painters treated religious themes with a
lifelike approach = later, they used a realistic style and
continued to recreate biblical events; they also depicted
worldly subjects, such as landscapes, portraits, and scenes
of everyday life
D. People today continue to admire Renaissance art,
attracting tourists to Western Europe, art museums, and

24. collectors to art auction sales = in 1967, a da Vinci
painting was bought by the Washington, DC, National
Gallery of Art for a record price of supposedly $5-6
million
XI. Renaissance Artistic Achievements (Just a Few Examples)
A. Italian
1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): he is associated
with Florence, Milan, and Rome, the IDEAL
RENAISSANCE MAN, AHEAD OF HIS TIME IN
HIS SCOPE OF CREATIVITY IN MANY
ENDEAVORS AND VISION OF HUMAN
POSSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE
a. He was a versatile genius, eager to experiment

25. = a skilled painter, sculptor, architect,
musician, engineer, and scientist
b. In military engineering, for instance, he
improved the method of loading cannon and
devising ways to scale fortified walls
c. He had a keen eye for detail, he studied human
anatomy, and from his observations of birds,
sketched a parachute and a flying machine or

26. contraption like a helicoptor
d. Some of his famous paintings include the Last
Supper and the Mona Lisa and his Self-Portrait
2. Michelangelo (1475-1564): spent his life in
Florence and Rome, and a multi-talented
Renaissance genius = a painter, sculptor, poet and
architect
a. Perhaps best remembered for his paintings of
biblical scenes on the ceiling of the Sistine

27. Chapel in the Vatican, as well as his sculpture
of the Pieta, showing the Virgin Mary grieving
over the dead Jesus
b. He also carved the famous massive statues of
Moses and David, and designed the dome of St.
Peter’s Cathedral in Rome
C. Spanish
1. El Greco (1547-1614): a native of Greece (“the
Greek”) who settled in Spain, he painted religious
scenes, portraits of religious/church officials, and the

28. famous landscape, View of Toledo
D. Dutch
1. Rembrandt (1606-1669): considered the greatest
painter of northern Europe, an expert at using
contrasts of light and shadow in portraying everyday
life and common people
E. Flemish (Belgian)
1. Rubens (1577-1640): noted for brilliant colors,
composed landscapes and portraits = also depicted
action in religious and historical paintings
F. German

29. 1. Albrecht Duerer (1471-1528): a painter and a metal
and wood engraver; also a realistic sketch artist
2. Hans Holbein (1497-1543): late in life he was the
official painter at the court of England’s King Henry
VIII = he produced life-like portraits of famous
personalities, such as Henry VIII, Erasmus, and Sir
Thomas More
a. Speaking of Henry VIII, as a young man
(before he became king after taking over when
his older brother Arthur died), he also was an

30. example of aristocracy cultivated in the arts
(he wrote music, for example)
XII. Characteristics of Renaissance Science
A. Built upon the extensive scientific writings of the Greeks
and Romans, much of which was preserved during the
Middle Ages by the Muslims during their own cultural
peak in the early Middle Ages
B. Developed the scientific method of observation and
experimentation
C. Challenged medieval superstition and the general
acceptance of ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s
theories
D. Uncovered much knowledge about the physical world

31. E. Reduced the importance or significance of humanity in
the universal scheme of things by determing that the
earth
was NOT at the center of the cosmos, but rather was one
of several planets revolving about its sun in a minor
planetary system
F. Renaissance science at first encountered great opposition
because its findings were thought to conflict with
medieval religious and popular beliefs
G. Increased the ability of people to improve their health and
control their environment
H. Finally, it set up a firm foundation for modern scientific
progress = sometimes Renaissance science is considered
to be the foundation of an on-going process even today
called the Scientific Revolution
XIII. Renaissance Scientific Achievements (A few examples

32. from
across Europe in many related fields)
A. Copernicus (1473-1543) = a Polish astronomer who had
studied in Italy; he concluded that the sun is the center of
our solar system and that earth is merely one of several
planets revolving around the sun = these findings,
published after his death, opposed the older Ptolemaic
theory, which claimed since ancient times that the earth is
the center of the universe
B. Vesalius (1514-1564): A Flemish physician, carried out
careful dissections of the human body and founded the
science of anatomy
C. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) = an English philosopher,
who popularized the new scientific method of observation
and experimentation

33. D. Galileo (1564-1642), who was born in Pisa, Italy, and for
many years lived in Florence = an Italian astronomer and
physicist who demonstrated the law of falling bodies and
greatly improved the telescope
1. He was also the first to discover moons around
Jupiter
2. He turned blind in his later years because he looked
directly into the sun with his telescope
3. He also helped confirm Copernicus’ theory of the
heavens (heliocentric view = sun-centered)
4. Though a devout Catholic, he got into some trouble

34. with the Catholic Church for his views and was put
under house arrest
E. Kepler (1571-1630) = a German astronomer and
mathematician = determined that the planets follow an
elliptical, not a circular, path in revolving around the sun,
which helps explain the paths followed by our satellites
around the earth today
F. William Harvey (1578-1657) = an English physician
demonstrated that blood circulates through the body,
furthering the study of medicine
G. Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) = Dutch naturalist, perfected
the microscope (Dutch were very good with glass making
and the making of lenses) = now people could see the
microscopic world of bacteria, protozoa, and animal and

35. plant cells
H. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) = English mathematician,
astronomer, and physicist; invented a method of
mathematical analysis called calculus, discovered the
laws of light and color (breaking white light into its
component parts with a refracted glass)
1. He also formulated the laws of motion, and
calculated the law of gravitation; his scientific ideas
were set forth in his famous book (Mathematical
Principles of Natural Philosophy or Principa
Mathematica)
2. Not until Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity in the

36. early 20th century were some of Newton’s principles
on the nature of gravity subject to revision =
Newton’s observations still hold true for the solar
system, but on the galactic or intergalactic scale,
Einstein’s appears to be more accurate regarding the
nature of space and time and the influence of gravity
on them
3. Interestingly, Newton to his dying day was
fascinated by the Bible, seeking to determine if there
was a code in the bible to understand the nature of
reality and predict the end of the world