Introduction to the Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance

By Jessica Barnett

Open Ended

What do you remember about changing political structures in Europe in the Middle Ages.

Multiple Choice

In what locations were monarchies able to centralize their power?

• England and France

• Germany and Italy

• Spain and Portugal

Dropdown

Which areas continued to be made up of decentralized kingdoms and states?​​ ​

Select answer

The Major Italian States

• During the Middle Ages, Italy enjoyed economic prosperity due to its pivotal role in global trade.
  

• This trade gave energy to Italy's urban environment and encouraged the exchange of ideas, but no centralized monarchy developed.
  

• In the early fifteenth century, five major territorial states came to dominate Italy.
  

• The five major states, which were controlled by dynastic families, were: Milan, Venice, Florence, the Papal State of Rome, and the Kingdom of Naples.

Multiple Choice

According to the map, which state controlled territory along the Adriatic Sea?

• Florence

• Venice

• Milan

• Naples

Open Ended

What were the benefits of Venice’s location?

Fill in the Blank

Which state was farthest south?

Open Ended

What were the benefits of Naples’s location?

Multiple Choice

How was the Italian peninsula governed? 

• by the wealthy elite families

• by a centralized monarchy

• by different city-states of varying sizes

Open Ended

Define urban environment.

Open Ended

Why might an urban environment stimulate new ideas?