Medieval Times: Florence And Siena

14th century verona italy is known as the scaliger period because of being ruled by the scaligeri family.  the houses in verona where usually 2 to 3 story homes which were built with large living rooms. Life in verona was not bad verona was a medieval center of painting in the 14th century. Verona is home to the 3rd largest amphitheater which was built in 30 A.D.  and could accommodate 30,000+ people this structure was almost completely destroyed in 1117 A.D. due to an earthquake the people reused its stone for other projects.

In Europe, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, much of the continent fell into a cultural recession. For many centuries science, mathematics and the arts were extremely stagnant. Beginning in the mid 14th century, the Italian Peninsula began to undergo a transformation evident in the works of artists, writers and scholars. This era is known as the Renaissance and was a revival of the classical world following the appropriately named Dark Ages. Renaissance thinkers became known as humanists, interested in learning about religious and non-religious studies and celebrated worldly achievements. Florence, Italy was the center for many of the advancements that took place during this time period and was the birthplace of many of the Renaissance individuals we know today. The economic, political and artistic influences of the Medici family, combined with it’s ideal geographical location for trade, made Florence emerge as the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Having so many cultures and so many great minds condensed into such a small area creates a breeding ground for art and innovation. Big cities have more than proven their capability of creating wonderful works of Music, literature, new technology, and new discoveries capable not only of making us proud of our cities but proud of our species.

This chapter helps to define some elements that may represent a city. For example, when

The Renaissance period is known for the revival of the classical art and intellect born in ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance is also a time that is marked by growth, exploration, and rebirth. The Italian Renaissance started in Florence and progressively made its way into Venice and then into the great city of Rome. During the Renaissance, Rome was home to some of the most renowned works of art and the finest architectural masterpieces in the world - too many that still holds true today. Along with the delicate architecture and grand artistry, Rome was also home to a mixture of people and cultures. It is in this cultural context and through the book A Street Life in Renaissance Rome: A Brief History with Documents, that understanding how men, woman, and specifically Jews and Christians lived in Rome becomes important to better understand this period of renewal.

Florence is arguably the starting place of the renaissance. With many different artists there, the Medici Family in control and a very strong trading system, it was a very powerful city-state during the renaissance. During this time, the feudal system was no more. The people in

The renaissance is a time of reform, change, and enlightenment. Artist, poets, and writer, prosper in this time period. Everything seems to being going so well until politics and the Catholic Church is brought into the mix. Both heavily mix, especially in Italy, were the Rome which the capital of the Catholic Church is located. Corrupt families come into power. With these families come murder and scandal. Two very prominent families of the time are the Borgia’s and Medici’s. Both families are notorious of their murders, and scandals.

Florence was exposed to the principles and ideologies of foreign regions and immersed them into the art and literature produced thereafter. That then percolated to the rest of the other European nations and the rest of Italy itself. The Medici maintained these connections rooted and stable by way of finance and politics and guaranteed that Florence, throughout the Renaissance, was an advocate of the arts. Furthermore, had it not been for the establishment of a connection between the Medici and the Papacy, Florence and Rome, it seems, may have actually been rivals grown under the essence of partnership and collaboration during the Renaissance. Rome supplied many Florentine artists with a harbor, and, in turn, Florence took advantage of the administration of the papal funds.

Two weeks after arriving in Florence, while walking home from dinner across the river, stumbled upon Piazza della Signoria, for the first time. With the sound of a street performer’s violin in the crisp night air, I sat on the edge of the open-air gallery of statues. I still do not know why the piazza affected me the way it did, but with tears in my eyes, I knew I had found a place in Florence where I could be bitter sweetly happy.

The Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances were both an important mark in history by changing the ideals of life, thought, culture, and art of the people’s of this time. In this paper I will explain the motive for change in these cultures, including the similarities and differences of the two cultures.

The movement that was called the Renaissance is defined and represented as the cultural rebirth that occurred in Europe from around 1300 – 1700 A.c.. This period was based on the rediscovery of the literature, and culture of and from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. In this time period, architecture and art flourished extremely. This was because and due to the fact that patrons of art wanted to display their wealth to and around the World. This would prove their worth. Some artisans that grew and thrived in the Renaissance were Michelangelo, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Albrecht Dürer, Raffaello Sanzio, Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Brunelleschi, and so many other skilled artists.

The lives of those in renaissance Italy depended greatly on their social class. Their diets, pastimes, clothing where they lived and even down to their family customs depended heavily on their wealth- or lack thereof. This paper serves to analyze these important sections of their lives, comparing and contrasting them to the opposite class.

Florence , the birth place of the Renaissance in the 14th century had many influences like the church and guilds but the Medici family played a significant role in creating the city of Florence we know today. The Medicis, a family of bankers and who were rather artistically conscious had great wealth and power, they used this to create a city full of prosperity. It excelled culturally,intellectually and artistically all with their aid. Money was abundant for expending on labour, materials and artists and the artists were there, the architects ,sculptors and painters. ( life in florence in the 15th century, Leo. s .

Although the origins of the Italian Renaissance can be traced to many different locations, it is important to note that different aspects of Italian culture and society remained largely medieval during the time of the Renaissance; the Renaissance did not come into full swing until the end of the century. The word Renaissance means “rebirth”, and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity (Greece and Rome) after the period that Renaissance humanists labeled the Dark Ages. These changes, while significant, were concentrated in the elite, and for the vast majority of the population life was little changed from the Middle Ages.

The advantage that Italy had was the smaller city-states. The smaller city-states allowed more citizens to be involved in politics besides the arts. Humanism suggested that a person can enjoy life without offending God. The wealthy enjoyed good music, fine foods, and material luxuries. Now the spirit of the Renaissance was secular meaning worldly. Italians were concerned with the “here and now” and moved away from the church and pope. But along with the Italians the church leaders also lived in beautiful mansions, and