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Modern Europe:
Renaissance:
Location - Where did the Renaissance begin?
The map of Europe displays European boundaries as they exist
today. This map was provided to give you a frame of reference. The
section of the map that displays Italy is divided into the boundaries
of the actual city-states as they existed during the Renaissance.
The Renaissance began in Italy
during the 13th century. As you
can see from the brightly colored
map to the left, Italy was not a
unified country. Instead, it was
made up of several independent
city-states. Italy was in a prime
geographic location on the
overland and sea trade routes.
The city-states had easy water
and land access, were centrally
located in Europe, and benefited
from a network of roads that
remained from the Roman
Empire. Italy is located north of
Africa and west of the nations of
today’s Middle East.
In viewing the map of Italy, you can tell that it is uniquely located
from a geographic perspective. Italy is a peninsula of both
temperate and warmer climates, well suited throughout history for
the development of seaports and inland cities that can be accessed
through a series of rivers which criss-cross the terrain.
Place - What physical and human features characterize the
Renaissance?
Physical Features
The peninsula of Italy is bordered on the West by the Tyrrhenian
Sea, on the East by the Adriatic Sea, and to the South by the
Mediterranean Sea. Three major rivers cross Italy. The Po, Arno,
and Tiber Rivers provided inland access to merchants during the
Renaissance as they transported their wares to cities such as Rome
and Florence.
Italy is also a country of mountains. The Alps cross the Italian citystates to the North and the Apennines travel the northwestern
coastline. The northern third of Italy shares a climate similar to the
European nations of Austria and Switzerland, while the Southern
regions of Italy are warmer like the south of France and Greece.
Human Features
Despite the fact that the Roman Empire fell in the early 400’s AD,
its urban network of roads influenced the spread of the Italian
Renaissance. Gradually, the Renaissance moved northward as
expanded trade spread cultural practices, religious beliefs,
education, and humanist thought to other parts of Europe.
Human-Environment Interactions - How were people’s lives
shaped by the geography of Italy, and in turn, how have people
shaped the country?
As a land surrounded by water on three sides, the Italian people,
out of necessity through the centuries, earned their living from the
sea and through trade. Merchants who traveled to China, India, and
Japan returned to share the riches of Indian and Asian cultures.
The religious and educational beliefs of the Muslim world were
transmitted through trade over many centuries. The wealth of
various African cultures mingled as trading partnerships were
cultivated with many African kingdoms.
Large cities were built on the seacoasts or along riverbanks as Italy
developed. Canals were dug to serve as roadways as Venice
developed, and during the Renaissance, the population of many
Italian cities grew to over 100,000 citizens.
The more temperate climate of southern Italy provided the perfect
setting for the growth of products such as grapes and olives, which
continue to be valuable agricultural products today in Italy.
Movement - How were people, products, and ideas moved
throughout the Renaissance and why did such movement
occur?
As mentioned previously, the Italian Renaissance grew as a result of
the wealth from trade and a blending of cultural practices from
around the world. The waterways and roadways of the Roman
Empire provided the avenues for transmission. The innovations and
inventions in math, geography, and science, and the music,
literature, and artwork of the Italian Renaissance gradually moved
northward across Italy and the rest of Europe from the 1300’s to
1500’s AD.
A renewed way of thinking and valuing of the rights of the
individual encouraged an interest in exploration. As the riches of
other cultures traveled across Europe and new advances were made
in the field of mapmaking, Europe’s monarchs became interested in
exploring uncharted lands in search of new discoveries. Not only
were these rulers interested in the possible wealth they could
accumulate, they also had dreams of spreading their religious
beliefs to other cultures around the world.
Region - How was the Italian region similar geographically to
other locations and what features set the country apart?
In many ways Italy is the geographic bridge between the climates of
northern and southern Europe. The cooler, northern regions, as
mentioned earlier, are very similar in appearance to the nations of
modern day Switzerland and Austria. The Naples region of Italy
resembles the warmer climate of Greece and southern France.
Geographically, what makes Italy unique is what made it the perfect
setting for the birthplace of the Renaissance. Its miles of coastline
and centrally accessible location between Africa, the Middle East,
positioned it well for trade. Its long history as the heart of the
Roman Empire and its network of overland transportation, provided
a manmade avenue to central and northern Europe.
Today, as you reflect back upon this rich time period, think about
key factors in the development of the Renaissance. Perhaps now,
the statement "Location is everything!" will have more meaning
for you.