This is a picture of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
The Renaissance
The Renaissance
The Renaissance period started in 1300 A.D. and ended in 1600 A.D. In
French Renaissance means "rebirth." During
the Renaissance the people were more concerned about the world around them than
the heavens above. The Renaissance took place in Italy and spread
throughout Europe.
City-States
The most important city-states during the Renaissance period were Florence,
Venice, and Papa. The city-states were ruled by guilds and later by
individuals or families. The ruler was more interested in being remembered
as wise and generous than being powerful.
Art
Art was an important part of life in the Renaissance period. One
famous artist is Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo is known for the Mona
Lisa. Leonardo also designed the first parachute. Another famous
artist is Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo painted on the ceiling and
altar wall of Rome's Sistine Chapel.
This is a picture of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
Manners
The Renaissance had manners, too. Some of these are:
Do not blow your nose and then open and look inside your handkerchief, as if pearls or rubies had dropped out of your head.
Do not offer anyone a fruit from which you have already taken a bite of.
Do not tell sad stories at parties or mealtimes. If some one starts talking this way, gently and politely change the subject and talk about something more cheerful.
Do not brag about honors, wealth, or intelligence.
Do not speak while yawning.
Do not clean your teeth with your finger or napkin.
Do not lie all over the dinner table or fill both sides of your mouth with so much food that your cheeks stick out widely.
Do not undress, comb, or wash your hair in front of others.
Do not stick out your tongue, rub your hands together, or groan out load.
Do not talk too much, especially if your
knowledge is small.
City Life
The center of the city was called the Piazza. Markets were set
up there, merchants traded goods there, and people gathered there to talk.
On holidays parades and ceremonies were held there. The women took care of
the house and raised the children. The women wore simple flowing dresses
with tight bodices. The men worked and talked with friends at taverns and
in the streets. The men wore tights and tunics.
The
French
The French invaded Italy in 1494.
The kings liked the style of the people. The kings ordered chateaus
(castles) to be built. The French authors modeled themselves after the Italian
authors. Rabelais, a famous French author, wrote The Adventure of
Gargantua and Pantagruel. The main characters are two comical giants.
The
Germans and Flanders
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing
press. He made the first "42-line Bible" (42 lines per a
column). Gutenberg made it easier and quicker for books to be
printed. Hubert and Jan Van Eyck, Flanders, discovered how to paint in
oils. Erasmus made a Latin translation of the New Testament.
The 42-line Bible that Gutenberg printed on the
printing press.
England
After the Hundred Years War was over the War of the Roses
started. The War of the Roses was the Lancaster family against the York
family. The symbol of the York family was the red rose. The
Lancaster family symbol's is the white rose. That is how the name
became. It was over which family would take over the throne of
England. The Tudors took over the throne. The Tudors were
fighting with the Lancaster family. The first king was Henry VII, then it
was Henry VIII, then Elizabeth I. They were very fond of plays. A
famous play writer was William Shakespeare. Some of his plays are Romeo
and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Nights Dream.
For
more information link to:
Britannica
Enyclopaedia
Jessica
P.
Spring 2003
Mr. Sams' Social Studies Class
Harrison Jr. School.
