Friday, December 7, 2012

The Renaissance - Italy

Two reasons why the Renaissance started and blossomed in Italy were that first, Italy was composed of wealthy city-states such as Rome, Venice, Florence, etc., and families from the middle class who stimulated the economy to prosper; second, Italy was the center of the Roman Empire where the Church was located. The Black Death had caused many deaths during the late Medieval time and hence a new middle class, as bankers, merchants, and tradespeople, emerged with new demand for goods and services and therefore had come to prosper Italy. People from neighboring regions also came here to trade because of its diverse market of goods as well as art and other things. The middle-class desired to show off their wealth by indicating their style in fashion, houses, food, and reputation; which caused them to promote education among the youth and sponsor great artists/architects/merchants/explorers to showcase paintings, buildings, etc. Last but not least, since the Church was located in Italy, it was provided with solid financially support from the Pope. With its prosperous historical legacies, wealthy families, and the Church's support, Italy was the perfect place for the Renaissance to start.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Inspiration Maps document: Scientific Revolution - Lisa Bui

This document was created using Inspiration® Maps™ for iPad. See www.inspiration.com/ipad to try Inspiration Maps for yourself.