A depiction of Milan as it appeared in 1493

The Renaissance was an age of recovery from the devastation brought on by the Black Death. With the help of Italian merchants, the Italian economy eventually was restored to pre-plague levels, and a variety of Italian city-states rose to prominence. In this topic, you will explore the political characteristics of these major Italian city-states. In addition, you will learn about a major Italian diplomat named Niccolò Machiavelli, who gave advice on how the Italian city-states could remain powerful and prosperous.

Essential Questions

• What was the Renaissance and why did it begin in Italy?
• What role did Machiavelli's ideas play in the political development of Renaissance Italy?

 

Warm-Up

Take a moment to listen to an excerpt from the Italian scholar, Francesco Petrarch, whose ideas mark the beginning of the Renaissance. This passage was taken from Petrarch, Epistolae metrica. As you listen, consider answers to the following questions:

1. How does Petrarch feel about the world in which he lives?
2. What does Petrarch suggest could fix the problems in the world? (Hint: What does Petrarch mean when he says, awake or die?)
3. As a Renaissance scholar, what qualities does Petrarch admire in people which are subsequently characteristics of a Renaissance man?

View a printable version of this audio file.