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How Did The Black Death Contribute To The Renaissance

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Beginning in 1347, Europe faced a series of crises such as the Black Death, the Hundred Years’ War, the Fall of Constantinople, and the Great Schism. Eventually, these crises would end and lead to a cultural revival. This cultural revival that Europe experienced was known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a period that revived elements of the classical past, as well as introduced new forms of thought and expression. The Black Death, a fatal disease that struck Europe in the years 1344-52, is one of the factors that led to the Renaissance. It originated in the region between Black and Caspian seas. Nicephorus Gregorus, a Byzantine Scholar, describes its symptoms as “The prominent signs of this disease, signs indicating early death, were …show more content…

This disease is said to be carried by fleas that were on the backs of rats. It devastated one half of the population of Europe. This population decrease had a negative effect on the economy. It led to an economic depression. For those who survived the bubonic plague, there were new opportunities awaiting. Farmers didn’t need much land for farming, due to the smaller population. A better standard of living was made available to peasants and urban workers. They could now negotiate higher wages from their landlords or employers. The Black Death forced survivors to build new local colleges and universities in order to school the post-plague …show more content…

Architects of the Renaissance used the golden mean, which is often found in nature in the shape of a leaf or the spiral of a shell. This was used by ancient Greeks. Use of the golden mean adds “harmonious composition to buildings and other structures.” Architects modeled their architectural designs after Vitrivius, a Roman architect. He glorified the idea of proportions and symmetry in architecture. He believed the human body modeled the beauty of proportion in human nature. Renaissance architects would visit the remains of ancient buildings, in hopes to measure them and learn how proportion and symmetry were applied in real structures. Renaissance architecture now applied regular geometrical forms, rather than the elegant spikes and soaring arches seen in the Middle Ages.
Artists were inspired by Greek and Roman sculpture, painting, and decorative arts. Renaissance artists mined the ancient world for new

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