what conditions in italy gave rise to the renaissance

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 civilisation.

From Darkness to Calorie-free: The Renaissance Begins

During the Eye Ages, a menstruation that took identify betwixt the autumn of ancient Rome in 476 A.D. and the showtime of the 14th century, Europeans made few advances in scientific discipline and fine art.

Also known as the "Dark Ages," the era is often branded as a time of war, ignorance, famine and pandemics such equally the Black Expiry.

Some historians, however, believe that such grim depictions of the Eye Ages were greatly exaggerated, though many hold that in that location was relatively little regard for aboriginal Greek and Roman philosophies and learning at the fourth dimension.

READ MORE: 6 Reasons the Dark Ages Weren't And so Dark

Humanism

During the 14th century, a cultural movement called humanism began to gain momentum in Italy. Amid its many principles, humanism promoted the idea that man was the centre of his ain universe, and people should embrace human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and scientific discipline.

In 1450, the invention of the Gutenberg printing printing allowed for improved communication throughout Europe and for ideas to spread more than quickly.

As a result of this advance in communication, lilliputian-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 civilization in Europe and set the phase for the Renaissance.

Medici Family

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could beget to back up budding artists.

Members of the powerful Medici family, which ruled Florence for more than 60 years, were famous backers of the motion.

Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they were participating in an intellectual and creative revolution that would be much different from what they experienced during the Dark Ages.

The motility get-go expanded to other Italian urban center-states, such every bit Venice, Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. So, during the 15th century, Renaissance ideas spread from Italy to French republic and then throughout western and northern Europe.

Although other European countries experienced their Renaissance later on than Italia, the impacts were withal revolutionary.

Renaissance Geniuses

Some of the nearly 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 divers the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament into Greek.

• Rene Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician regarded as the begetter of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, "I think; therefore I am."

• Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose pioneering piece of work with telescopes enabled him to describes the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Placed nether firm arrest for his views of a heliocentric universe.

• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): Mathematician and astronomer who fabricated 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. All-time 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 historic for his portraits of Pope Paul III and Charles I and his afterward religious and mythical paintings similar "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 ballsy poem "Paradise Lost."

• William Shakespeare (1564–1616): England's "national poet" and the virtually famous playwright of all fourth dimension, 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 builder who carved "David" and painted The Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Renaissance Art, Architecture and Scientific discipline

Fine art, architecture and science were closely linked during the Renaissance. In fact, it was a unique fourth dimension when these fields of written report fused together seamlessly.

For example, artists like da Vinci incorporated scientific principles, such as anatomy into their piece of work, so they could recreate the homo trunk with extraordinary precision.

Architects such every bit 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 centre of the solar organisation.

Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism. Artists strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way.

Scroll to Continue

They used techniques, such as perspective, shadows and light to add depth to their piece of 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 acquire more nearly the world around them. In a period known equally 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 Eastward 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.

READ More: The Age of Exploration

Renaissance Faith

Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman Catholic church during the Renaissance.

As more people learned how to read, write and translate ideas, they began to closely examine and critique religion as they knew it. Also, the press press allowed for texts, including the Bible, to be hands 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 divide in the Catholic church building. Luther questioned many of the practices of the church building and whether they aligned with the teachings of the Bible.

As a consequence, a new course of Christianity, known every bit Protestantism, was created.

End of the Renaissance

Scholars believe the demise of the Renaissance was the result of several compounding factors.

By the terminate of the 15th century, numerous wars had plagued the Italian peninsula. Spanish, French and High german invaders battling for Italian territories caused disruption and instability in the region.

Likewise, changing trade routes led to a menstruation of economic decline and limited the amount of money that wealthy contributors could spend on the arts.

Subsequently, 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 besides bold, which stifled inventiveness.

Furthermore, in 1545, the Council of Trent established the Roman Inquisition, which made humanism and whatsoever views that challenged the Cosmic church an human activity of heresy punishable past death.

By the early on 17th century, the Renaissance movement had died out, giving fashion to the Historic period 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 unlike from the Centre Ages and that both eras overlapped more than traditional accounts advise.

Also, some modernistic historians believe that the Middle Ages had a cultural identity that'south been downplayed throughout history and overshadowed past the Renaissance era.

While the exact timing and overall bear on of the Renaissance is sometimes debated, at that place'due south trivial dispute that the events of the menstruation ultimately led to advances that changed the way people understood and interpreted the world around them.

Sources

The Renaissance, History Globe International.
The Renaissance – Why it Changed the World, The Telegraph.
Facts Well-nigh the Renaissance, Biography Online.
Facts About the Renaissance Menstruation, Interestingfacts.org.
What is Humanism? International Humanist and Ethical Union.
Why Did the Italian Renaissance Terminate? Dailyhistory.org.
The Myth of the Renaissance in Europe, BBC.

dottsforeweet.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance

Share this post