Notes on Italy

banking system - founded in Florence by the Medici family

Holy Roman Empire - way back in the early middle ages, western Europe and central Europe were completely fractured became the Roman Empire had fallen apart. When the Roman Empire fell, the whole area went into disarray. People clustered closer together with one another. In 800, the Pope sees that he has this huge area of central Europe that is a mess so he wants to centralize some control. He appoint Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Empire. The are of the Holy Roman Empire

Medici

-huge patrons of the arts

-some became Popes

Art

-a lot of the art was the same

-Giotto

• first painter to really break out from that style of painting into something new. He starts painting on walls of the churches. This is fresco painting.
• painted scenes, instead of just people

-Fra Angelico

• Monk
• His name means brother Angelica
• More detail

Brunelleschi

• Learned how to build the dome for the Florence Cathedral
• Ideas were difficult to understand
• Style was unorthodox
• Vision was to resurrect forgotten concepts of the past
• Using classical orders of architecture
• He would spark an architectural revolution across Europe
• Set to work on the dome and Cozimo would publically support him
• He was fearful his ideas would be stolen so he wrote in code
• Would have to rewrite the rules of western architecture and there was no certainty of succes
• For inspiration he turned to Rome
• Parthenon inspired him

Cosimo

• Wanted to build the biggest dome on the Florence Cathedral
• Giovanni was the guy who really began this dynasty
• Head of the Medici
• Nothing would please Cosimo's enemies more than to see Brunelleschi fail
• The Medici was against the Albizzi family
• Became in grave danger
• His family was terrified that they would never see him again
• Cosimo was found guilty after a vote was taken
• Papacy saved Cosimo
• He survived but the family was banished
• Brunelleschi was thrown into jail
• Accepted control of the city of Florence
• Money began to flood back into Florence and work on the dome began again
• Pope opened huge credit line for the Medici
• Medici bank was now the most profitable business in Europe

Machiovelli

• Based in Florence most of his life
• His career is at the beginning of political science
• Most know for the Prince written in 1513 but it wasn't published until after his death
• Born into a wealthy family, one of the leading in Florence
• His father was a lawyer
• Florence was being run and fought over by the powerful families
• There are also outside pressure