Now a lot of people have heard of Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, and DaVinci; but this isn't the ninja turtles that we are talking about here, its the renaissance. The renaissance lasted from about the 14th century to the 17th century. This means that it lasted about 3 centuries ( that is longer than America has been a country). The Renaissance occurred throughout Europe but originated in Florence Italy. Florence was a rich city due to their textile and trade industry. A powerful and rich Italian family, the Medici, was able to support the revival of arts. It eventual spread throughout Italy and then into the rest of Europe.
The Renaissance was the rebirth of European culture after the Dark Ages. Their ideas were associated with the rediscovery of Greek and Roman writings. Humanists evolved- scholars who studied Roman and Greek text. They focused on liberal arts (literature, philosophy, and history). Humanism promoted the idea that a person was the center of their own universe and should embrace learning, the arts, and other humanly achievements. It also encouraged society to question the teachings of the Catholicism- the Catholic church during this time had more power and influence over society than the king. The Protestant Revolution was started by Martin Luther who opposed and protested the Catholic Church.
There was a huge surge of art and individualism. Arts focused on idealizing the human body and realism to capture something as it is in real life. Many Renaissance artists depicted religious scenes. Artists incorporated new techniques such as depth and perspective. Similarly architecture evolved greatly and showed relation to Greek and Roman buildings with columns, domes, and intricate designs.
Science, mathematics, and technology also boomed. Many of the greatest scientific discoveries of the Renaissance was through astrology. Alchemy also began along with strides in technology and mathematics. Artists began to depict the human body anatomically correct so the could better understand and study it. Global exploration expanded as the Age of Exploration began.
The Renaissance was only experienced by about 5% of the population- the rich, the papacy and those who created it. The vast majority of the population were peasants and freed tenants. The Renaissance ended by multiple factors. Some were things such as wars and alternate trade routes. However the most influential factor that ended the Renaissance was the counter reform. The counter reform was when the Catholic church began to censor artists and writers in response to the Protestant reform. The Council of Trent established the Roman Inquisition, which made humanism and any views that challenged the Catholic church an act of heresy punishable by death. This obviously put a heavy toll on the vibe of Renaissance artists and caused the Renaissance to end in around the 17th century.
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