Switzerland

The modern nation of Switzerland began to take shape during the Renaissance. In 1386 several independent cantons (states) came together to form the Swiss Confederation. By 1513 the confederation included 13 cantons, along with allies and subject territories. During the late 1400s and 1500s Switzerland fought wars with Burgundy and the HABSBURG DYNASTY. The confederation also participated in the WARS OF ITALY (1494–1559), which brought it Italian-speaking territories and the attention of Europe. The Swiss War of 1499 began the process of Switzerland's separation from the Holy Roman Empire, which was not completed until 1648.

During this period Europeans began to take notice of Switzerland. The country appeared on maps as a distinct geographical region with the ancient Roman names of Helvetia and Rhaetia. Church COUNCILS held in the Swiss cities of Constance (1414–1418) and BASEL (1431–1449) brought additional attention to Switzerland. The country also became known for its mercenaries*, who gained a reputation as fierce and effective soldiers. Various European observers commented on the Swiss political systems. The Italian political writer Niccolò MACHIAVELLI praised Switzerland's republican government and its soldiers, while French author Jean BODIN used the confederation as an example of how popular government leads to anarchy.

The influence of humanism* began to be felt in Switzerland in the late 1400s. Swiss humanists wrote national histories, some praising their system of government, others criticizing it for overthrowing the power of nobles. The city of Basel became the center of Swiss humanism in the 1500s thanks to its publishing industry, university, and trade links to Italy and other centers of Renaissance thought. The great Dutch humanist Desiderius ERASMUS made his home in Basel. After 1520, however, the Protestant Reformation* brought religious conflict to Switzerland. Thinkers had to choose between Catholicism and Protestantism, dividing the humanist community. Basel joined the Protestant camp, and Erasmus left the city.

The areas of Switzerland south of the Alps were much more open to Renaissance ideas in art than were the alpine regions. Swiss churches and palaces in the south were decorated in versions of Renaissance style, while those in the north generally remained faithful to Gothic* design. Basel was the only city strongly influenced by Italian art. Hans HOLBEIN the Younger, the famous German Renaissance painter, worked in Basel for about 12 years. On the whole, though, the artistic ideas of the Renaissance appear in Switzerland more as features of individual works than as a widespread movement.

* humanism: referring to a Renaissance cultural movement promoting the study of the humanities (the languages, literature, and history of ancient Greece and Rome) as a guide to living
* Protestant Reformation: religious movement that began in the 1500s as a protest against certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church and eventually led to the establishment of a variety of Protestant churches
* Gothic: artistic style marked by bright colors, elongated proportions, and intricate detail