What was Humanism in 14th-century Italy?
A cultural movement rediscovering Greek and Latin classical works focused on literature.
What did humanists admire about classical style and authors?
The perfection and elegance of style and the human virtues represented.
What worldview did Medieval culture present regarding God's role?
A theocentric world with God at the center.
How did Renaissance culture view human beings in the world?
As anthropocentric, placing humans at the center and as makers of their own destiny.
What qualities were Renaissance human beings considered to have?
Intelligence, reason, and dignity.
How did humanists recover ancient culture?
By collecting Roman artifacts, searching medieval libraries, comparing texts, and correcting copyist errors.
What event in 1453 led Byzantine intellectuals to bring Greek works to Europe?
The fall of Constantinople.
What does philology mean?
Love of the word.
What is the goal of philology?
To restore original texts to understand their civilization, author's thought, and values.
How did Renaissance artists participate in the revival of classical civilization?
By traveling, discovering, and studying beyond commissions.
When and where did Johannes Gutenberg perfect movable-type printing?
Between 1452 and 1455 in Mainz.
What was the name and print quantity of Gutenberg's Latin Bible?
The Bible of the 42 lines, printed in 180 copies.
What effect did printing have on book prices and literacy?
It reduced book prices and increased literacy.
How did printing affect access to knowledge and readership?
It increased access to knowledge and widened readership of vernacular translations.
How did Cosimo de' Medici and Lorenzo the Magnificent use cultural patronage?
To consolidate and assert their political power.
What was patronage in Renaissance courts?
The protection of artists and writers by rulers who offered economic benefits.
What did a court intellectual gain and risk under a ruler?
Protection and privileges but risked losing them after opposing the ruling family.
How did Renaissance academies begin?
As spontaneous groups of scholars.
What did Renaissance academies encourage among scholars?
Free discussion.
When did Renaissance academies become institutionalized?
During the sixteenth century.
What was the Counter-Reformation in Europe?
Actions by the Catholic Church to contain the Protestant Reformation.
When did the Council of Trent meet during the Counter-Reformation?
From 1545 to 1563.
Which institutions did the Church use to restrict Protestant ideas?
The Inquisition and the Index of Prohibited Books.
What effects did foreign invasions and Spanish domination have on people in Italy?
They lost confidence in controlling their destiny and felt increased fear and sin.
Why did the vernacular become a literary language in early 16th-century Italy?
Because of the influence of printing.
What was the status of Italian vernaculars in the early 16th century?
They were many and lacked fixed grammatical rules.
Who initiated the founding of the Accademia della Crusca in 1583?
The grammarian Leonardo Salviati.
What was the purpose of the Accademia della Crusca?
To preserve the purity of the literary language.
When was the Vocabolario della Crusca published and what did it collect?
It was published in 1612 and collected words used by 14th-century writers and their imitators.
Who was a humanist in the context of studia humanitatis?
A teacher or scholar devoted to studia humanitatis communicating knowledge.
What was the Renaissance understood as a recovery of?
The cultural values of classical civilization.
Which author’s works did Petrarch rediscover in Verona?
Cicero's works.
Which Renaissance artist is an example of a precursor to modern scientists?
Leonardo da Vinci.
What material did movable-type printing use for letters?
Small lead blocks bearing letters of the alphabet.
How did court culture benefit rulers?
By producing works praising their dynasty, providing entertainment, and supporting public libraries.
What enriched scholars' knowledge in academies?
The exchange of ideas.
How did academies help scholars with study issues?
By allowing them to discuss encountered problems.
What happened to Giordano Bruno in Rome on 17 February 1600?
He was burned at the stake for refusing to recant.
How did Tuscan become a widespread linguistic model in the 15th century?
Through imitation of Tuscan literary works.
What need arose from the spread of Tuscan as a linguistic model?
The need for a common literary language.
What does the name 'Crusca' symbolize in the Accademia della Crusca?
Separating flour (correct Italian) from bran (incorrect forms).
Answer 23 questions on Humanism and the Renaissance.
1. What was the main cultural focus of Humanism in fourteenth-century Italy?
2. Why did humanists admire ancient Greek and Roman authors?
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