The Renaissance Period

The Renaissance period is known for the revival of the classical art and intellect born in ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance is also a time that is marked by growth, exploration, and rebirth. The Italian Renaissance started in Florence and progressively made its way into Venice and then into the great city of Rome. During the Renaissance, Rome was home to some of the most renowned works of art and the finest architectural masterpieces in the world - too many that still holds true today. Along with the delicate architecture and grand artistry, Rome was also home to a mixture of people and cultures. It is in this cultural context and through the book A Street Life in Renaissance Rome: A Brief History with Documents, that understanding how men, woman, and specifically Jews and Christians lived in Rome becomes important to better understand this period of renewal.

Italy can be looked at as the home of the renaissance and consequently the immergence of great art. Artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Raphael are some of the greats and are looked at for standards. But what about the artists whose lives are mysteries, and their works that were influenced by the greats? These artists hold just as much importance in the history of art as do the artist’s whose names can be recalled off the top of an average person’s head. During the sixteenth century things began to change in the art world, and that change was the Baroque. This new style of art brought a revolution to how subject matter was painted, it brought upon “… a radical reconsideration of art and its purposes…” (249) and how artists of all ranks could learn to paint the up and coming style of Baroque.

The Italian Renaissance was a time for great cultural change and achievements, which began in Italy approximately during the 13th century and lasted up until the 16th century. It marked the transition between the Dark Ages and Early Modern Europe. The European Renaissance originated in Central Italy, and centered in the city of Florence.i The distinctive characteristics of northern Italian states such as art, literature, philosophy, and culture produced an atmosphere of learning and artistic expression.

The Middle Ages and Renaissance were two very different periods of time. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was believed that God was the ruler, and almost everything in life was based around religion. Illiteracy was also very widespread, unless one was a religious figure. For example, priests and monks were basically the only literate people during the Middle Ages, and they were the ones that would do all the reading, and writing from the Bible. One of the main reasons for illiteracy was the lack of technology. The only way for copies of books to be made was with handwritten books, which made it hard to get hands on a book, because the quantity was so scarce. Another reason for the illiteracy was that many people were called serfs, which are

During the 14th century, Italy was divided into many self-governing city sates. Florence, an independent republic and third largest city in Europe at the time, was the motherland of the Italian Renaissance. This was an enlightening time of “rebirth” that began directly after the Middle Ages (History.com Staff). Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance due to its location, prosperity, and cultural amalgamation.

The renaissance was a period of rapid change in many European countries. The constant struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism alone created a country torn between both political and spiritual ideologies. As different kings and queens came into power, many were forced to change ideologies simply based on the beliefs of these monarchs. During this time, literature was used as a way to protest these ideologies. The works of Edmund Spenser, author of The Faerie Queene, Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia, the records of Anne Askew’s burning, From the First Examination of Anne Askew and John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments, provide insight into the political climate of spiritual reform in the renaissance era. These authors critiqued life during the renaissance and used their writings to protest the old ways, encouraging England to abandon its Catholic roots in favor of Protestantism.

The Early Renaissance was a great time during European history. It was proceeded by the High Renaissance and Mannerism periods. These two periods in time differed slightly in reference to citizen activity, art and architecture, and society as a whole.

Renaissance time period was the beginning of many changes. However, not just in the field of art, but also fields like science, mathematics, biology, and religion the staple of many works of art in the past. This was the beginning stages of change, and Galileo would ultimately pay the price of imprisonment for challenging what we thought we knew. Many great artists would also come from this time. These artists would not just be you typical painters or sculptures from the past, but better rounded knowledge based artists. Artists who would understand the science and mathematics behind everyday events, whether this was when looking at human bodies and how they moved or the stars and how they moved about in our solar system. They began the more realistic thoughts on how things worked and art started to very slowing exit out of the usual biblical and eternal works of art. However, many great artists throughout the renaissance period would be born and

In the time between the 1300's and the 1500's, a great transformation took place in Europe. Prior to the 1300's, Europe had experienced what has been called the Middle Ages, but after 1500, the continent was fully into the period known as the Renaissance. The impetus for the transformation that took place was the onslaught of the Black Death, or a two hundred year nightmare in which the Bubonic Plague devastated European society. The changes that took place as a result of the Plague altered the economic, social, artistic, political, and intellectual foundations of Europe forever.

The Middle Ages were not known for their choice in government, ways of living, or their views on the Church. Rather, they were known for making the best of what was given to the, which was music. During the early Middle Ages, peasants stayed bound to the land they were given, but had to depend on landlords for protection. Also, many social bonds were ties of kinship, which lead to the emergence of feudalism among the warrior aristocracy ("The Middle Ages: Feudal Life", 2013).

The Italian Renaissance began in the mid-fourteenth century, and was marked by a turn from medieval life and values dominated by the Church toward the philosophical principles of humanism. The Italian people, especially the educated middle class, became interested in individual achievements and emphasized life in this world, as opposed to preparation for life in the next world, which was stressed by religion in the Church. They believed strongly in the potential for individual accomplishment in the arts, literature, politics, and personal life. Individuals began to be encouraged to excel in a wide range of fields and showcase their talents. The pieces of art that represent this period of time are, The Mona Lisa, The Northern Doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, and lastly, David by Donatello.

“Renaissance”, which is French for “rebirth”, perfectly describes the rebirth of art and learning that occurred in Europe between the 1400s and 1600s. During the era known as the Renaissance, Europe underwent a cultural movement in which people regained interest in the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome. A renewed interest in philosophy and human individuality lead to the development of more worldly and nonreligious focuses. Europe sought knowledge from the ancient world and moved out of the Dark Ages. There was an explosion in art, literature, and architecture. New techniques and styles developed and older, forgotten techniques and styles were revived as these artforms moved away from the colder and darker styles of the Middle Ages.The Renaissance represents Europe moving away from a period of darkness and the rise of trade and exploration; however, the Renaissance would not have occurred if it weren’t for the Late Middle Ages. The events that occurred during the Late Middle Ages lead to changes that ultimately caused the emergence of the Renaissance in Europe.

The period of time encompassing the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (approximately 1450-1600) in Europe has come to be defined as the Renaissance. This was a period of overall enlightening for the human race. Religious reformation occurred within the Roman Catholic Church through Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. The Renaissance was also defining for music. It was within this time period that musical notation was invented along with word painting and polyphony. The Renaissance was the age in which humans finally began to express and explore themselves fully and embody the arts.

As we have all been told, nothing lasts forever. Ancient Greece was known as the “Cradle of Western Civilization.” The Roman Empire in its glory was considered the pinnacle of culture and technology. However, century upon century of wars, famine, plague, internal strife and decay finally took their toll and everything came crashing down plunging the Western Roman Empire into the dark ages. However, mankind is resilient, in the waning days of the dark ages having survived years of war, toppling of empires, unrest and the black plague, a new day was dawning on western civilization. The time period known as the Renaissance was at hand. This was a time of enlightenment and discovery. How did mankind pull himself out of those dark ages? To

The Renaissance was a period of cultural evolution that marked the end of the Medieval Era in Europe. During this time, many European nations experienced significant advancements in art, literature, science and technology. Ideas derived from Greek and Roman origin were introduced and modified in European countries, including Spain, France, Italy, and The Netherlands. The Renaissance was characterized mainly by the development of new ideas that remain prevalent in our world today. This age of knowledge and profound innovation originated in Florence, Italy, primarily because it was considered the cultural center of Europe. The exchange of ideas between Italy and other Asian countries was made possible by the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that extended from Western Europe to East Asia. Italian city-states benefited from the Silk Road by gaining wealth and knowledge from powerful Asian nations, such as China and Japan. Essentially, the Renaissance was a blend of a diverse range of cultures with different traditions and customs. Humanism is a term that exemplifies the shared belief of most Renaissance leaders. Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the study of worldly issues rather than religious issues. During the Middle Ages, religion was the central cause of many wars. This slowed economic productivity and exploration of different civilizations. Early Renaissance humanists attempted to break the tradition of blind worship that ultimately