Question

Explain the economic impact of Italy's location and trade on Renaissance art and culture.

Answer 1

Italian cities location profited from the following:

Meanwhile the Renaissance ocurred, a huge amount of trade began to take place , boosting the economy of Italian among Mediterranean cities.

As population increased, so did the economy, with major developments that benefited the habitants of the Italian city-states:

This population turn into urban centers, abandoning the former feudal system that preceded.

A mercantilistic order formed giving death to feudal system.

A improved banking system, provided financial security for major transactions.

Expanded trade routes, that reached far to the East. As people lived closer, they began to spread the word to make art and culture available to more, and experiencing a huge change in culture.

Some key cities like Genoa, Pisa and Venice went to trade far into Arabic lands and beyond.

Merchants carried luxury species, dyes, silks from far East and imported them into all Europe.

A manufacturing system that accelerated commercial activities. Creating new conditions for people gaining wealth.

Answer 2

With the Renaissance and its more humanistic and individualistic culture, as well as the economic take-off and its consequent degree of social ostentation, and together with technological advances, all the aspects related to the individual aspect and personal care, such as hairdressing, developed remarkably and fashion. The hairdressing suffered a deep transformation and a great boom in terms of establishments and products dedicated to hair care. Depilation of the eyebrows, as well as the forehead, sometimes even half a skull. The taste for dyeing increased, with blonde being the preferred color. In general, the hairstyles included a headdress, with five main types: the headgear, the headgear or bonnets, the bonnets, the rolls and the hats. From the 16th century, hairstyles, especially feminine ones, were gaining in complexity, with sophisticated structures of curls, lace, ribbons and muslin.

In the Renaissance emerged the concept of fashion as we understand it today: new genres were introduced and sewing acquired a high degree of professionalization. In Renaissance Italy appeared the richest and most spectacular costumes in history, with vivid colors and imaginative and original forms, which gave great importance to the sleeves, folds and vertical fabric drops, with fine embroidery and rich trimmings . In the sixteenth century short shorts were like a blouse, and continued wearing the medieval doublet, along with layers of various types and ornaments such as the ruff, a lace fabric that covered the neck. In the feminine attire appeared the corset, which encircled the waist, on a skirt in the shape of bell called crinoline, made of cloth and horsehair, and reinforced with metal rings.