-
- 14th through 17th centuriesCUNY Brooklyn: General Characteristics of the Renaissance
- Term comes from the Italian word rinascimento, meaning rebirth
- Generally viewed as the end of the Middle Ages
- Believed to have begun in FlorenceTigertail Virtual Museum: Early Italian Renaissance
- Approximately 25-30% of the population lived in povertyWashington State University: Italian Renaissance background
- Most households had at least one slaveWashington State University: Italian Renaissance background
-
-
The Italian Renaissance represented a period of change and development in art, literature, music, science, economics and government that is generally thought of as the end of the Middle Ages. It is referred to as a renaissance, or rebirth, because of the renewed interest in the arts and knowledge of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
-
City States
Italy did not have a central government during the Renaissance. Power was centralized in five principal city-states:




