Overview
While the Renaissance saw the upbringing of a more vibrant and lively social life the social classes remained the same. The three estates were divided as such: The First Estate consisted of the clergy (the Church), The Second Estate consisted of the nobles and the ruling class, The Third Estate consisted of the peasants and townspeople of the town. The Third Estate made up the majority of the population and saw some interesting changes during the Renaissance.
The Nobility
While many aspects of society in the Renaissance were different than they had been in the Middle Ages, the aristocracy more or less remained the same. The nobility still consisted of only about 2-3 percent of the population and still held power by remaining in positions of power including roles as military officers, royal advisers and, by attending school for solid educations, as politicians. One of the only differences between a life of aristocracy in the Renaissance as opposed to a life of aristocracy in the Middle Ages was that it had become more difficult to maintain.
The major difference between the two life styles is that in the Renaissance a man named Castiglione (1478-1529) wrote a book called The Book of the Courtier. This, "handbook," became the standard by which all aristocrats were expected to live. In his book Castiglione wrote about the characteristics of the perfect nobleman. Three of the most dominant attributes that he assigned to nobles were:
A noble should posses certain qualities such as good character, grace, talents and a noble birth.
A noble should be learned and should practice certain physical and military exercises.
A noble should have a classical education and should be able to play and instrument or be a proficient artist.
Castiglione's believed that overall the goal of a perfect noble should be to submit to the will and power of their prince and king. This rulebook Castiglione created was upheld and practiced for hundreds of years to come.
The major difference between the two life styles is that in the Renaissance a man named Castiglione (1478-1529) wrote a book called The Book of the Courtier. This, "handbook," became the standard by which all aristocrats were expected to live. In his book Castiglione wrote about the characteristics of the perfect nobleman. Three of the most dominant attributes that he assigned to nobles were:
A noble should posses certain qualities such as good character, grace, talents and a noble birth.
A noble should be learned and should practice certain physical and military exercises.
A noble should have a classical education and should be able to play and instrument or be a proficient artist.
Castiglione's believed that overall the goal of a perfect noble should be to submit to the will and power of their prince and king. This rulebook Castiglione created was upheld and practiced for hundreds of years to come.
Peasants and Townspeople
The majority of the European population in the Renaissance was, like at many other times in history, made of the common folk. They, however, had a slightly new place in society in the Renaissance because serfdom had just fallen out of regular practice. This was largely due to the Black Plague and the problems that it caused in the economy. The Lords had ceased from paying serfs and had begun either freeing the peasants or loaning them land. Either way the peasants of the Renaissance were either beginning to work land of their own, land that had been loaned to them, or were in the cities working as artisans or merchants, these townsmen were known as the bourgeoisie. While there were many peasants who moved to the cities, due to their economic growth in the Renaissance, the towns in Europe remained extremely diverse both socially and economically.
While there was diversity within the cities of the Renaissance the poor still constituted for most of the urban population. In fact about 30-40 percent of all urban inhabitants were poor and likely propertyless. However they were not the lowest of the low, below them still ware the slaves. However above them were the shopkeepers, guild members and burghers. These people lived economically average lives and earned meager wages by providing goods for the general populace. Still at the top of the ladder were the patricians, or the aristocrats. The patricians, like normal, didn't constitute for much of the urban population. They earned their salaries largely from trade, industry and banking. A famous patrician family in Florence at the time of the Renaissance was the Medici. The Medici specialized in trade and had banks in many major cities around Europe. At one point the Medici were even the bankers of the papacy.
While there was diversity within the cities of the Renaissance the poor still constituted for most of the urban population. In fact about 30-40 percent of all urban inhabitants were poor and likely propertyless. However they were not the lowest of the low, below them still ware the slaves. However above them were the shopkeepers, guild members and burghers. These people lived economically average lives and earned meager wages by providing goods for the general populace. Still at the top of the ladder were the patricians, or the aristocrats. The patricians, like normal, didn't constitute for much of the urban population. They earned their salaries largely from trade, industry and banking. A famous patrician family in Florence at the time of the Renaissance was the Medici. The Medici specialized in trade and had banks in many major cities around Europe. At one point the Medici were even the bankers of the papacy.
Slavery in the Renaissance
Before the Renaissance the practice of slavery had been almost abandoned, however during the Reconquista, a war led by Muslims against Spain, the use of POWs as slaves reappeared. This lead to Italy allowing for the, "unlimited importation of foreign slaves." in 1363.
The slaves that were brought to Italy during the Renaissance were used primarily in the house as playmates, maids or as concubines. However there were often cases in which illegitimate children were born, but in most cases they were dealt with quickly. One of the only known instance in which a child born of a slave was fostered by the aristocratic mother and father was in the case of Francesco Datini who nurtured a daughter born to him by his concubine, Lucia, in 1392. Still slaves were used in other ways than just for domestic purposes. There war also bought and used as skilled workers, making handcrafted goods.
Most popular in the Italian markets were female slaves, and out of the nearly 10,000 slaves that were sold between 1414 and 1423 most of them were women and young girls. Italian merchants soon realized the money to be had in the selling of slaves and were soon obtaining them from around the Mediterranean. Most of the slaves procured by Italian merchants were from the Eastern Med. and the Black Sea region, though there were also a few bought from Africa and Spain.
The great use of slaves that occurred soon after the Reconquista died just before and into the early Renaissance. The price for slaves became to high and the general thought was that they were too dangerous. Shortly afterwards masters began to free many of their slaves and they were eventually only found in royal courts. Later, however, the Portuguese imported about 140,000 slaves into Europe and by the early 16th century the number of Africans had dramatically increased in Europe.
The slaves that were brought to Italy during the Renaissance were used primarily in the house as playmates, maids or as concubines. However there were often cases in which illegitimate children were born, but in most cases they were dealt with quickly. One of the only known instance in which a child born of a slave was fostered by the aristocratic mother and father was in the case of Francesco Datini who nurtured a daughter born to him by his concubine, Lucia, in 1392. Still slaves were used in other ways than just for domestic purposes. There war also bought and used as skilled workers, making handcrafted goods.
Most popular in the Italian markets were female slaves, and out of the nearly 10,000 slaves that were sold between 1414 and 1423 most of them were women and young girls. Italian merchants soon realized the money to be had in the selling of slaves and were soon obtaining them from around the Mediterranean. Most of the slaves procured by Italian merchants were from the Eastern Med. and the Black Sea region, though there were also a few bought from Africa and Spain.
The great use of slaves that occurred soon after the Reconquista died just before and into the early Renaissance. The price for slaves became to high and the general thought was that they were too dangerous. Shortly afterwards masters began to free many of their slaves and they were eventually only found in royal courts. Later, however, the Portuguese imported about 140,000 slaves into Europe and by the early 16th century the number of Africans had dramatically increased in Europe.