The Rise Of The Renaissance Era

The major social changes during the Renaissance era were a step into a renewed world. Political class, different types of ideas, development of arts was one of the major social changes in the Renaissance. The rejection during the era was religion due to the rulers.

Nyctophobia; the fear of the dark. However, it’s not exactly the fear of darkness itself, but rather, what could be lurking within it. Now, the Dark Ages weren’t actually “dark”, but it was a time of rapid decline in Europe in which historians don’t have much information. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was thrown into a never ending battle of hardships. From the Black Plague to the loss of beloved heroes and heroines, the country really was left in the dark, until a flicker of hope emerged offering a new beginning: the Renaissance. The Renaissance lasted from the 14th to the 17th century and was an era of “rebirth” in European history. During this period, culture throughout Europe underwent a dramatic reformation where classic

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 Renaissance was a time of growth in the liberal arts. It started in the Italian City states as trading brought huge profits to all the city states, especially to Venice and Genoa. Due to the profits from trading, and to the regrowth of some other industries that had been devastated by the social upheavals of the fourteenth century, the Italian city-states became extremely prosperous. The richest in Italy who were the ones benefiting from this prosperity, such as the Medicis, became great patrons of the arts, allowing art to flourish in Italy as it had never done since Greco-Roman times. Because of individualism and humanism, Renaissance art started to emphasize mathematical perspective to art which gave art an element of 3D. New thinkers with new ideas also started to emerge such as Petrarch, who promoted humanism, the belief in the power of the individual and in the revival of ancient Greco-Roman texts and beliefs. The High Renaissance

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 Italian Renaissance, in contrast to the conservative attitude of the Middle Ages, introduced a society dominated by a secular, humanistic spirit. One of the most historically significant events of the Renaissance was the Reformation. Some people argue that the Reformation was a rejection the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance. Others assert that the Reformation was an embracement of these secular ideas. However as with many questions, this issue cannot be given a definite answer. The events of sixteenth-century Europe shows that the Reformation rejected secular ideas in some ways and embraced them in others. Martin Luther defied the Catholic Church and formed his own ideas on salvation, embracing secularism. In England, Henry VIII would reject Catholic authority, thereby accepting the secular spirit. However, he also rejected secularism by continuing to uphold traditional Catholic theology. Edward VI and Mary I would both establish national religion, of which there was no questioning, and reject the secular spirit. Elizabeth I also established a national religion, but her more conservative religious policies reflected her embracement of secular ideas. On the other hand, John Calvin created a religious sect that was dedicated to ardent religious devotion and righteousness, thereby rejecting secularism. Thus, the Reformation both rejected and embraced the secular spirit of the Italian Renaissance.

The Italian renaissance was a period of creative explosion. The term renaissance symbolizes rebirth, which is exactly what occurred in Italy during this time. An entire culture was remade through art. There was a resounding interest in the classics created by ancient artists. The humanist movement encouraged the study of humanity’s history in order to create a deeper understanding of how to move forward as a society. There was a seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge and creation. Many new art forms developed in this period, including opera. The Florentine Camerata, a group of scholars, created early forms of opera. Claudio Monteverdi, a renaissance composer, developed opera into the art form that is still performed today. The work of the Florentine Camerata and Claudio Monteverdi worked in harmony to create and develop this new form of music. Monteverdi’s educational background, his rebellious drive to create, his serendipitous career, and his unequaled talent allowed him to develop opera into an art form that no other composer of the time could have produced.

The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy around the 1500’s to about the 1700’s. Florence, Italy was the mecca of this rebirth because at the time Florence was extremely wealthy and the people of the city had political freedom and those new ideals of the Renaissance were not being condemned in Florence as they were other cities. This was a time where the arts and the logic of one’s own mind was valued rather than criticized, the antiquated medieval ideals no longer matched the needs of those who were living during the early Renaissance. Eventually, a term for this way of thinking arose and was called Humanism, and what humanism is, is an ideology where humans can lead themselves to create a prosperous life and instead of leaning on supernatural forces for answers. Humanists believe that humans have enough logic to create conclusions themselves. This brand-new way of thinking caused a lot of controversy because it did question God’s ability and the church’s power, but the ideas behind it are still heavily used today, even in the 21st century. Humanism in the early Renaissance is important because it called for thinking with reason, it allowed an appreciation for human body and mind, inspired authors and caused a shift in power.

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

The Renaissance is known as the period of rebirth from approximately 1400 to 1600 in European History (Szalay). During the Renaissance many new innovations were developed that paved the way to the modern world. Such developments helped to advance cultures by the expansion of ideas and ways of thinking. Cultural aspects from art to economics were all questioned and changed during this time. The altercations that took place in the Renaissance era have influenced the modern world and has been in many ways a dividing line between the two time periods.

With the dark ages coming to end and the economy of Europe slowly beginning to rise again, a giant scale cultural revolution like never before was slowly beginning to sweep over Europe. Becoming what we now know as the European Renaissance, every aspect of European life changed because of this revolution. The Renaissance began a renewed interest in the people to seek knowledge and question what the world around them meant. The Renaissance wasn’t just about learning however, it included exploring the world, art, and focusing on what the human being had to offer in society. This focus on the human being on an individual level became what is commonly known as Humanism. Humanism can be seen as the central essence of the Renaissance because it questioned everything society, be it religion or the government, had to offer. The Renaissance can actually be divided into two different sections in Europe, the Italian and latter Northern parts. The Northern Renaissance includes all the countries in Western Europe directly not tied to Italy. Beginning in Italian city states, the central ideas of the Renaissance had a rippling effect throughout Europe. The European Renaissance was a giant shift in cultural and technological paradigms that paved the way for Europe to leave the middle ages and enter the Modern Age.

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 Black Death swept through Europe and killed 1/3 of the population. Life seemed bleak for millions of survivors. Music and art took a back seat, but that all changed with the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a period in European history, from the 14th to the 16th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history. It was a time period of rebirth that offered people a chance to live again. Music and art once more became center stage. Artist became architects. Musicians became composers. Some of the best composers of this time period include Guillaume Dufay, Heinrich Isaac, and Jacob Obrecht. However, the composer that often defines the Renaissance is Josquin des Prez.

The Renaissance was a major turning point for many people in the 14th and 15th centuries. People began to express themselves as individuals and not be afraid of venturing out. Called a rebirth, the Renaissance marked a new era in thought and feelings. It brought the people of the Middle Ages out of their dark and depressive times and transformed the way human spirit was. The Renaissance brought great changes to politics and government, with division between the Church and the State, along with how a ruler should act towards his people. It also marked a change in the economy of Europe, with the switch from tight Feudalism to a looser version of Feudalism which forced people into different ways of working, such as trade and commerce. Religion before the Renaissance was strongly expressed in Italy, yet during the Renaissance people began to shift away from the Church and its teachings. Society drastically changed during the Renaissance, and roles of women increased greatly, along with how to act to be the perfect man. The Renaissance also sparked a great interest in Liberal Arts, and the teachings of ancient Greece. Art also became popular during the Renaissance because it was a way to express individualistic ideals and thoughts. The geography of Italy also greatly affected how the Renaissance affected the country, because its strategic location made it a trade center. Along with this, the Renaissance marked a change in technology, with a printing press that made the