The Early Renaissance, starting in Florence, was the birth place for which civic humanism grew out of. Civic humanism can be seen through the literature and art of Florence. People like Salutati and works of Bruni and Ghiberti clearly exude this movement. Civic humanism was begun by Salutati and Bruni.
Both men believed strongly in studying the humanities and glorified Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio as the forebears of humanism and declared Florence as the center for the new learning. They stressed that participation in public affairs is essential for full human development. By participating in public life, seeking higher ends for one’s society as well as oneself, could an individual be truly virtuous. Their ideal was Cicero, who used his wisdom and eloquence to serve the public good and the state at the end of the Roman Republic. Civic humanist believed Republican government was the best form because unless educated citizens made use of their wisdom for the benefit of all, their moral understandings would not benefit their societies.
They believed in studying the ancients, the superiority of the active life, and the value of Florentine republican institutions as necessities. This idea can be seen through Leonardo Bruni’s History of the Florentine People. In this, Bruni stressed the importance of history because citizens and political leaders can learn from the ethical, moral, and political behavior of the past. He said the fall of Roman civilization was due to imperial despotism and concluded that political freedom is a necessary condition for a healthy civic life. He saw Florence as the place for the resurgence of the civic freedom and republicanism that had distinguished Athens and Rome in their best days. This movement can also be seen through Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise.
The Essay on The Dome of the Cathedral, Florence
The Cathedral was designed and built in between 1377-1466 by the architect and visionary Fillipo Brunelleschi and numerous others. However parts of the building appear to date back to the 11th century, by a sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (Farfan, 2001). The cathedral itself is located north of the Piazza del la Signoria and towers over the city. Initially there had been a great deal of competition ...
The idea of setting Old Testament stories in classical architectural settings illustrates a regard for the classical antiquity that was more important than historical accuracy. The 28 panels depict individual faces and body language for each person. This attention to human uniqueness epitomizes the Early Renaissance and civic humanism. Civic humanism was an important movement during the Early Renaissance. It brought forth new ideas and created a new way of life. Because of people like Salutati, Bruni, and Ghiberti Florence was turned into a place where people were focused on the humanities..
