Renaissance is French for “rebirth.” It describes the changes occurring in Europe from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries.

During this era, Europe emerged from the Middle Ages and experienced a time of growth. There was significant financial growth, but the Renaissance is best known for the growth in the areas of the arts, science, and thought.

In the feudal system, nobles provided the king with protection in exchange for land. Peasants worked the land for the nobles. In return, they received protection and their own land. In the countryside, no one had an easy life. There weren’t many comforts. Life was a little easier in the cities and individuals had the freedom to pursue trades other than farming and the military. In the late Middle Ages, more people migrated from the country to towns and cities.

However, during the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance (1350-1450) the bubonic plague, maybe better known as the “Black Death,” devastated one half of Europe’s population. The plague, which was almost always fatal, spread most rapidly in cities, where people were in close contact with each other. The only way to avoid the disease was to leave the city for the country, which was something only the wealthy could afford to do.

The plague, and population decline, brought about an economic depression. Not only were there fewer workers, but there were fewer buyers for merchandise. Merchants and traders were at a loss, as well as all the industries connected to them, shippers, bankers, etc.

As things ebb and flow, the plague decreased in the late fifteenth century, which meant the population increased, and the market demand increased with it. A new middle class developed among the merchants and tradesmen.

And as people do, as they get more, they want more. This middle class wanted larger homes and more luxury. They wanted finer clothing and finer foods. While not good for the individuals maybe, their lusts stimulated the economy.

“The middle-class population also had leisure time to spend on education and entertainment. In fact, education was essential for many middle-class professions. Bankers and accountants needed to understand arithmetic. Those trading with other countries needed a knowledge of foreign currencies and languages. Reading was essential for anyone who needed to understand a contract. In their leisure time, middle-class men and women enjoyed such pastimes as reading for pleasure, learning to play musical instruments, and studying a variety of topics unrelated to their businesses.

Many Italian coastal cities became centers for trade and commerce, and for the wealth and education that ensued. One of the cities that exemplified these new trends was Florence. Unlike several other important cities of Italy that had noble families as their most prominent citizens (Mantua and Ferrara, for example), the leading citizens of Florence, the Medici family, made their wealth as business people. In all respects the Medicis had the appearance of nobility. They lived in beautiful homes, employed great artists, and engaged in intellectual pursuits for both business and pleasure.”

 

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