Renaissance - "Rebirth" (thoughts, arts, sciences)

Prior to Ren., Dark Ages - After fall of Roman Empire [376BC] Lasted 1,000 years. Way of life for humans decreased. Became illiterate again; major changes in civilization. Rural way of life. Crusades (holy wars) began [failed].

Civilization increased during Renaissance. Wealthy men & women bring back classical ideas of Roman & Greeks [R & G - before D.Ages]. Began in Florence. Urban-like. 3 largest cities in Europe: Florence: (No porting. Center for production of wool; located on Arno River. Merchants ["storekeeper"]. Textiles = making of cloth. Leaders in textile & banking industry. Merchants became men of wealth and controlled society (stronger than Kings because of who they were). Patrons = supporters of the arts. Venice & Genoa: Port Cities (Trading). Medici Family = leading family of Renaissance. Cosmo Medici = wealthiest man in Europe, no political powers, controlled Florence, dictator (positively). Controlled in 1464. Grandson (1468), Lorenzo (The Magnificent) Medici continued work of his grandfather.

During Dark Ages, focus of art changed to religious in nature; glorifying God.

Renaissance art focus was portrait painting, autobiographies. Humanists = scholars who study past [Rome, Greece]. Petrach was first of humanists. Humanists were trying to reproduce classical ideas of Rome & Greece. Wealthy men wore doublets [fancy jackets]. Dante Algieri (1265). Dante's most famous work was The Divine Comedy. Inspiration/Muse: Beatrice Portinari. 3 Parts of Divine Comedy: Part 1: Virgil (most famous of Roman poets) escorts Dante through Inferno/Hell. Dante has died. Part 2: Purgatory - between Heaven & hell. Part 3: St. Bernard escrots Dante to paradise & reunites with Beatrice.

Latin was the educated language. Vernacular was the common language of people. Divine Comedy was the first written in Vernacular.

**Italy IS a country but was NOT a country THEN.**