From darkness to light: the Renaissance begins
During the Middle Agesperiod between the fall of ancient Rome in 476 AD and the beginning of the 14th century, Europeans made little progress in science and art.
Also known as the “Dark Ages”, this era is often referred to as a period of war, ignorance, famine and pandemics as the black death.
Some historians, however, believe that these dark depictions of the Middle Ages were greatly exaggerated, although many agree that at the time, relatively little consideration was given to ancient Greek and Roman philosophies and knowledge.
Humanism
In the 14th century, a cultural movement called humanism began to gain momentum in Italy. Among its many principles, humanism held that man was the center of his own universe and that people should embrace human achievements in education, the classical arts, literature and science.
In 1450, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press improved communication throughout Europe and spread ideas more quickly.
Due to these advances in communication, little-known texts by early humanist authors such as those of Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio, which promoted the revival of traditional Greek and Roman culture and values, were printed and distributed to the masses.
Additionally, many scholars believe that advances in international finance and trade impacted culture in Europe and paved the way for the Renaissance.
Medici family
The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists.
Members of the powerful Medici familywho ruled Florence for more than 60 years, were famous supporters of the movement.
Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they were participating in an intellectual and artistic revolution that would be very different from the one they experienced in the Middle Ages.
The movement first spread to other Italian city-states, such as Venice, Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. Then, in 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 no less revolutionary.
Renaissance Geniuses
Some of the most famous and revolutionary Renaissance intellectuals, artists, scientists and writers include:
- Leonardo DeVinci (1452-1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor and “Renaissance man” responsible for the paintings of “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”.
- Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536): Dutch scholar who defined the humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament into Greek.
- René Descartes (1596-1650): French philosopher and mathematician considered the father of modern philosophy. Famous for saying: “I think; So I am.”
- Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose pioneering work with telescopes allowed him to describe the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. Placed under house arrest for his views on a heliocentric universe.
- Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): mathematician and astronomer who presented the 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, author of “The Divine Comedy”.
- Nicholas Machiavelli (1469-1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher famous for having written “The Prince” and “The Discourses on Livy”.
- Titian (1488-1576): Italian painter famous for his portraits of Pope Paul III and Charles I and his later religious and mythical paintings such as “Venus and Adonis” and “Metamorphoses”.
- William Tyndale (1494-1536): English Bible translator, humanist and scholar burned alive 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 most famous playwright of all time, famous for his sonnets and plays such as “Romeo and Juliet.”
- Donatello (1386-1466): Italian sculptor famous for his realistic sculptures like “David”, commissioned by the Medici family.
- Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510): Italian painter of “The Birth of Venus”.
- Raphael (1483-1520): Italian painter who learned from Leonardo 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 sculpted “David” and painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Impact of the Renaissance on 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 merged seamlessly.
For example, artists like Leonardo 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 design and engineer huge buildings with vast domes.
Scientific discoveries led to major changes 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 strove to represent people and objects in a way that was true to reality.
They used techniques such as perspective, shadows and light to add depth to their work. Emotion was another quality that artists tried to instill in their works.
Some of the most famous artistic works 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)
Exploring the Renaissance
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. During a period known as the Age of Discovery, several important explorations were carried out.
The Travelers launched expeditions to travel all over the world. They discovered new sea routes to the Americas, India, and the Far East, and explorers explored areas that were not fully mapped.
Famous voyages were made by Ferdinand MAGELLAN, Christopher Colombus, Amerigo Vespucci (after whom America is named), Marco Polo, Ponce de Leon, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernando De Soto and other explorers.
Historical Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus
Renaissance religion
Humanism encouraged Europeans to question the role of the Roman Catholic Church during the Renaissance.
As more people learned to read, write, and interpret ideas, they began to closely examine and criticize religion as they knew it. Additionally, printing allowed texts, including the Bible, for the first time to be easily reproduced and widely read by people themselves.
In the 16th century, Martin Luthera German monk, led the Protestant Reformation – a revolutionary movement that caused a split within the Catholic Church. Luther questioned many practices of the Church and questioned whether they were consistent with the teachings of the Bible.
Consequently, a new form of Christianityknown as Protestantism, was created.
End of the Renaissance
Researchers believe that the demise of the Renaissance was the result of several factors combined.
At the end of the 15th century, numerous wars ravaged the Italian peninsula. Spanish, French, and German invaders fighting over Italian territories caused disruption and instability in the region.
Additionally, changing trade routes led to a period of economic decline and limited the amount of money that wealthy contributors could devote to 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 would stifle creativity.
Additionally, in 1545, the Council of Trent established the Roman Empire Inquisitionwhich made humanism and any opinion contesting the Catholic Church an act of heresy punishable by death.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Renaissance movement died out, giving way to the Age of Clarification.
Renaissance debate
While many scholars view the Renaissance as a unique and exciting period in European history, others argue that this period was not much different from the Middle Ages and that the two eras overlapped more than accounts suggest traditional.
Additionally, some modern historians believe that the Middle Ages possessed a cultural identity that was downplayed throughout history and overshadowed by the Renaissance.
Although the exact timing and overall impact of the Renaissance is sometimes debated, there is no doubt that the events of this period ultimately led to advances that changed the way people understood and interpreted the world around them .
Sources
The Renaissance, History World International.
The Renaissance – Why it changed the world, The telegraph.
Facts about the Renaissance, Online biography.
Facts about the Renaissance period, InterestingFacts.org.
What is humanism? International Humanist and Ethical Union.
Why did the Italian Renaissance end? Dailyhistory.org.
The myth of the Renaissance in Europe, BBC.
