Marco Polo
trader from Venice who traveled from Europe to Asia; part of Kublai Khan’s court
Renaissance
means “rebirth” & refers to the period after the Middle Ages
humanism
a way of thinking and learning that stresses the importance of human abilities & actions
Dante Alighieri
writer, politician, and poet; first to write in Italian, the language of the people
Niccolo Machiavelli
Italian writer of The Prince; believed rulers sometimes had to be ruthless to keep order
Michelangelo
great master that painted the ceiling of Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
Leonardo da Vinci
true genius of the Renaissance; a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, engineer, town planner & mapmaker
Petrarch
a Renaissance scholar who warned against ignoring history; his ideas affected education for many years
Johann Gutenberg
developed a printing press that used movable type
Christian humanism
a blend of humanist and religious ideas
Desiderius Erasmus
a Dutch priest who criticized corrupt clergy & wanted to get rid of meaningless church rituals; the most important voice for reform
Albrecht Durer
one of the most famous artists of the northern Renaissance who is known for his prints
Miguel de Cervantes
wrote Don Quixote
William Shakespeare
the greatest writer in the English language; known for his sonnets, comedies, tragedies & histories; wrote Romeo & Juliet
Reformation
a reform movement against the Roman Catholic Church
Martin Luther
nailed a list of complaints (95 Theses) to the door of a church in Germany; followers known as Lutherans
Protestants
those who protested against the Roman Catholic Church
John Calvin
a reformer who taught predestination; his ideas eventually led to capitalism
Catholic Reformation
Catholic Church’s effort to stop the spread of Protestantism & make changes in the church from within
Jesuits
a religious order created to serve the pope & the church
federalism
sharing of power between local governments & a strong central government
