RENAISSANCETheRenaissancereferstotheperiodinEuropeancivilizationtowardstheendoftheMiddleAges,whichwascharacterizedbyasurgeofinterestinclassicallearningandvalues.TheRenaissanceemergedwhensocialinstability,economicsluggishnessandintellectualdepressionbecamesointolerablethatmostofthepeople,especiallytheintellectualscouldnolongeraccepttheworseningsituation.TheRenaissanceasamovementfirststartedinFlorenceandthenexpandedtoVenice,RomeandotherItaliancitiesbeforeitswepttherestpartsofEurope.Paintingandsculpturewerethemostsensitivefieldstothechangewiththeirsubjectsandtastes,shiftingfromdullness,stagnation,lackofemotionanddivinitytodynamics,enthusiasmandhumanitarianism.LiteratureandideologysoonfollowedGetStarted_1.2GetStartedGetStarted_1.3GetStartedasotherimportantareasproceededandthemovementfurtherseparateditselffromfeudalistictyranny,ecclesiasticbondageandsoughtintellectualfreedomandideologicalemancipation.TheRenaissanceischaracterizedbyseekingideologicalemancipation,intellectualfreedomandpoliticalawareness,basedonculturalproductionandreligiousreformation.Allthesewereundertakenorunfoldedgraduallybutwidely,extendingitsinfluencestoeverycornerofEurope,withmoreandmorepeoplegettinginvolved.Theachievementswereseenprincipallyinsixareas,namely,painting,sculpture,poetry,fiction,dramaandreligiousreformationaswellasthechangeintheculturalandintellectualclimate.TextStudy_II_1.2TextStudyMainIdeasMainIdeasFeature:TheRenaissanceischaracterisedbyseekingideologicalemancipation,intellectualfreedomandpoliticalawareness,basedonculturalproductionandreligiousreformation.Allthesewereundertakenorunfoldedgraduallybutwidely,extendingitsinfluencestoeverycornerofEurope,withmoreandmorepeoplegettinginvolved.ThemoststrikingfeatureoftheRenaissancewasdoubtlesslytheflourishofhumanism.GetStarted_1.4GetStartedTheRenaissancewasanimportantstageinthehistoricalprocessoftheWesterncivilizationandindicatedatransitionalperiodfromtheMiddleAgestothemodernerainthedevelopmentofWesternculture.EconomicandintellectualchangesduringtheRenaissancebothhelpedtospeedupWesternsocialandculturaldevelopmentandpreparedthenecessaryconditionsfortherapidprogressinpolitical,socialandideologicalareasoftheModernAge.SummaryofRenaissanceAfterthemiddleagesbeganaperiodof“rebirth”inEurope,aperiodwhichbeganinthecity-statesofItaly.Thenewspiritoftheerawasthatofhumanism,whichwasmuchdifferentfromthehighlyreligiousperiodthatcamebeforeit.Humanism•Humanismisanapproachinstudy,philosophy,worldvieworpracticethatfocusesonhumanvaluesandconcerns.ItwasaculturalmovementinItalybasedonandinspiredbythestudyofclassicalworks.HowwouldyoucomparetheMiddleAgestoRenaissanceItaly?MiddleAgesvs.Renaissance400-1400•Religious•Ruralculture•ArtsareGod-centered•Poor•Intellectualstagnation1400-1600•“Humanist”•Urbanculture•Artsmorehuman-centered•Wealthy•NewideasarediscussedWhatarethemaincausesoftheRenaissanceinItaly?WhatarethemaincausesoftheRenaissanceinItaly?•Theinventionoftheprintingpress–1440•ThesiegeofConstantinople–1453•Italianurbanculture•ItaliantradeandcontactwithotherculturesPrintingPress-1440Aprintingpressisadeviceforapplyingpressuretoaninkedsurfacerestinguponaprintmedium(suchaspaperorcloth),therebytransferringtheink.Typicallyusedfortexts,theinventionoftheprintingpressiswidelyregardedasthemostinfluentialeventinthesecondmillenniumAD,revolutionizingthewaypeopleconceiveanddescribetheworldtheylivein,andusheringintheperiodofmodernity.PrintingPress-1440ThemanwhoinventedtheprintingpresswasJohannesGutenberg,fromGermany.ThisimageshowswhatisknownastheGutenbergeditionoftheBible,thefirstwide-spreadeditionoftheBible.Before,monksinmonastarieswouldhavetowritetheBiblebyhand,sotheyweremoredifficulttocomebyfortheaverageperson.MovabletypePrintingPressThisisapairofworkersatapress.Usingthenewinvention,theycouldprintabout3,600pagesperday.WhydidtheprintingpresshelpleadtotheRenaissance?SiegeofConstantinople–1453君士坦丁堡的陷落Constantinople(modern-dayIstanbulinTurkey)wasthecapitaloftheByzantineEmpire,thelastvestigeoftheEasternRomanEmpire.SiegeofConstantinople-1453TheOttomanEmpire(alsoknownasthe“Turks”)laidsiegetothecityforoveramonth,anditfinallyfellundertheircontrol.Hereyoucanseethecannon,arelativelynewweapon.HowdidthefallofConstantinopleleadtotheRenaissance?ItalianUrbanCultureItalyatthistimewasdividedintomanysmallerkingdoms.LiketherestofEurope,therewasnorealcentralizedmonarchy.ButinItaly,thesesmallerstatesusuallyhadalargeurbanarea(unlinkMedievalkingdoms,whichtendedtobemuchmoreagrarianandrural).Thesewerecalledcity-states,andalsotendedtobewealthierthantheplacesinnorthernEurope.Thiswasdueinparttoitsfocusontradewithothernations.MapofItalianCity-States(1494)ItaliancontactwithotherculturesBecauseofitsconvenientlocationintheMediterranean,Italiancity-stateshadanadvantageoverNorthernEurope(theHanseaticLeague)inthattheywereintheideallocationtotradewiththerestoftheworld.TheMediterraneansea(地中海)isanidealplacetotradewithothernationsofvastlydifferentculture.ItaliancontactwithotherculturesInthe1200sand1300s,Italiancity-statesdidalotoftrade,shippingthingsfromthe