Italian Humanism

The Birth of “Literature”

Birth of Humanism

® The literary movement of the Renaissance

® Modern literature first appeared in the 14th and 15th centuries in Italy

® A class of men who saw themselves as writers

® Humanists used writing to please and amuse their readers

Humanists

® Wrote a good deal in Latin

® Preferred Latin style of the classical Roman period

® Complained that Middle Age Latin was too monkish, scholastic

® Also wrote in the Vernacular, Italian

® Definition: Vernacular

® Using a language native to a region rather than a literary language (Italian in place of Latin)

® In the ancient writers the humanists found a new range of interests, discussion of political and civic questions

Francesco Petrarch

® “The first man of letters”

® First Italian humanist

® Trained for law and the clergy he criticized both professions for their “Scholasticism”

® Wrote Sonnets to Laura-clearly meant to be literary productions

Petrarch, Cont.

® Literature became a kind of calling

® A consideration of moral philosophy no longer subordinate to theology

® How human beings should adjust to the world

® what a good life could or ought to be,

® where the genuine rewards for living were to be found

Euro trivia

® In what European country would you find the city of Antwerp?

® Belgium

Other Italian Humanists

® Boccaccio Decameron-a series of tales designed to entertain and impart wisdom about human character

® Leonardo Bruni- Florentine Historian. Showed a need for authentic sources

® Pico della Mirandola Oration on the dignity of man

® Baldasare Castiglione The Book of the Courtier

® “must converse with facility, be proficient in sports, know how to dance and appreciate music, should know Latin and Greek

® Macchiavelli The Prince 1513

Humanist Education

® Medieval schooling had been chaotic and repetitious

® Renaissance separated students by age and class

® Latin was the Principal subject with Greek added

® Learned Latin and Greek to read the ancient writings