Renaissance

Contents
• From Darkness to Light: The Renaissance Begins
• Humanism
• Medici Family
• Renaissance Geniuses
• Renaissance Art, Architecture and Science
• Renaissance Exploration
• Renaissance Religion
• End of the Renaissance
• Debate Over the Renaissance

Introduction
The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic,
political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally
described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the
Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature
and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and
artists in human history thrived during this era, while global exploration
opened up new lands and cultures to European commerce. The
Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages
and modern-day civilization.

From Darkness to Light: The Renaissance Begins

During the Middle Ages, a period that took place between the fall of
ancient Rome in 476 A.D. and the beginning of the 14th century,
Europeans made few advances in science and art.
Also known as the “Dark Ages,” the era is often branded as a time of
war, ignorance, famine and pandemics such as the Black Death.
Some historians, however, believe that such grim depictions of the
Middle Ages were greatly exaggerated, though many agree that there
was relatively little regard for ancient Greek and Roman philosophies
and learning at the time.

Humanism
During the 14th century, a cultural movement called humanism began to
gain momentum in Italy. Among its many principles, humanism
promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and
people should embrace human achievements in education, classical arts,
literature and science.
In 1450, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press allowed for
improved communication throughout Europe and for ideas to spread
more quickly.
As a result of this advance in communication, little-known texts from
early humanist authors such as those by Francesco Petrarch and
Giovanni Boccaccio, which promoted the renewal of traditional Greek
and Roman culture and values, were printed and distributed to the
masses.
Additionally, many scholars believe advances in international finance
and trade impacted culture in Europe and set the stage for the
Renaissance.

Medici Family
The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural
history where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists.
Members of the powerful Medici family, which ruled Florence for more
than 60 years, were famous backers of the movement.
Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they
were participating in an intellectual and artistic revolution that would be
much different from what they experienced during the Dark Ages.
The movement first expanded to other Italian city-states, such as Venice,
Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. Then, during the 15th century,
Renaissance ideas spread from Italy to France and then throughout
western and northern Europe.
Although other European countries experienced their Renaissance later
than Italy, the impacts were still revolutionary.

Renaissance Geniuses
Some of the most famous and groundbreaking Renaissance intellectuals,
artists, scientists and writers include the likes of:
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor and
“Renaissance man” responsible for painting “The Mona Lisa” and “The
Last Supper.
Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536): Scholar from Holland who defined
the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New
Testament into Greek.
Rene Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician
regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, “I
think; therefore I am.”
Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose
pioneering work with telescopes enabled him to describes the moons of
Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Placed under house arrest for his views of a
heliocentric universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): Mathematician and astronomer who
made first modern scientific argument for the concept of a heliocentric
solar system.
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679): English philosopher and author of
“Leviathan.”
Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400): English poet and author of “The
Canterbury Tales.”
Giotto (1266-1337): Italian painter and architect whose more realistic
depictions of human emotions influenced generations of artists. Best
known for his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua.
Dante (1265–1321): Italian philosopher, poet, writer and political
thinker who authored “The Divine Comedy.”
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher
famous for writing “The Prince” and “The Discourses on Livy.”
Titian (1488–1576): Italian painter celebrated for his portraits of Pope
Paul III and Charles I and his later religious and mythical paintings like
“Venus and Adonis” and "Metamorphoses."
William Tyndale (1494–1536): English biblical translator, humanist and
scholar burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English.
William Byrd (1539/40–1623): English composer known for his
development of the English madrigal and his religious organ music.
John Milton (1608–1674): English poet and historian who wrote the epic
poem “Paradise Lost.”
William Shakespeare (1564–1616): England’s “national poet” and the
most famous playwright of all time, celebrated for his sonnets and plays
like “Romeo and Juliet.”
Donatello (1386–1466): Italian sculptor celebrated for lifelike sculptures
like “David,” commissioned by the Medici family.
Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510): Italian painter of “Birth of Venus.”
Raphael (1483–1520): Italian painter who learned from da Vinci and
Michelangelo. Best known for his paintings of the Madonna and “The
School of Athens.”
Michelangelo (1475–1564): Italian sculptor, painter and architect who
carved “David” and painted The Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Renaissance Art, Architecture and Science

Art, architecture and science were closely linked during the Renaissance.
In fact, it was a unique time when these fields of study fused together
seamlessly.
For instance, artists like da Vinci incorporated scientific principles, such
as anatomy into their work, so they could recreate the human body with
extraordinary precision.
Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi studied mathematics to
accurately engineer and design immense buildings with expansive
domes.
Scientific discoveries led to major shifts in thinking: Galileo and
Descartes presented a new view of astronomy and mathematics, while
Copernicus proposed that the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the
solar system.
Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism. Artists
strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way.
They used techniques, such as perspective, shadows and light to add
depth to their work. Emotion was another quality that artists tried to
infuse into their pieces.
Some of the most famous artistic works that were produced during the
Renaissance include:
The Mona Lisa (Da Vinci)
The Last Supper (Da Vinci)
Statue of David (Michelangelo)
The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)
The Creation of Adam (Michelangelo)

Renaissance Exploration
While many artists and thinkers used their talents to express new ideas,
some Europeans took to the seas to learn more about the world around
them. In a period known as the Age of Discovery, several important
explorations were made.
Voyagers launched expeditions to travel the entire globe. They
discovered new shipping routes to the Americas, India and the Far East
and explorers trekked across areas that weren’t fully mapped.
Famous journeys were taken by Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher
Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci (after whom America is named), Marco
Polo, Ponce de Leon, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Hernando De Soto and
other explorers.

Renaissance Religion
Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman
Catholic church during the Renaissance.
As more people learned how to read, write and interpret ideas, they
began to closely examine and critique religion as they knew it. Also, the
printing press allowed for texts, including the Bible, to be easily
reproduced and widely read by the people, themselves, for the first time.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther, a German monk, led the Protestant
Reformation – a revolutionary movement that caused a split in the
Catholic church. Luther questioned many of the practices of the church
and whether they aligned with the teachings of the Bible.
As a result, a new form of Christianity, known as Protestantism, was
created.

End of the Renaissance

Scholars believe the demise of the Renaissance was the result of several
compounding factors.
By the end of the 15th century, numerous wars had plagued the Italian
peninsula. Spanish, French and German invaders battling for Italian
territories caused disruption and instability in the region.
Also, changing trade routes led to a period of economic decline and
limited the amount of money that wealthy contributors could spend on
the arts.
Later, in a movement known as the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic
church censored artists and writers in response to the Protestant
Reformation. Many Renaissance thinkers feared being too bold, which
stifled creativity.
Furthermore, in 1545, the Council of Trent established the Roman
Inquisition, which made humanism and any views that challenged the
Catholic church an act of heresy punishable by death.
By the early 17th century, the Renaissance movement had died out,
giving way to the Age of Enlightenment.

Debate Over the Renaissance

While many scholars view the Renaissance as a unique and exciting time
in European history, others argue that the period wasn’t much different
from the Middle Ages and that both eras overlapped more than
traditional accounts suggest.
Also, some modern historians believe that the Middle Ages had a
cultural identity that’s been downplayed throughout history and
overshadowed by the Renaissance era.
While the exact timing and overall impact of the Renaissance is
sometimes debated, there’s little dispute that the events of the period
ultimately led to advances that changed the way people understood and
interpreted the world around them.