The Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance was one of the most colorful, vital, and exciting times in history. Renaissance eventually comes from the French word "Renaistre," meaning "to be born again." The Renaissance was a revival or a rebirth of cultural awareness and learning among art, law, language, literature, philosophy, science, and mathematics. This period took place between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Renaissance in Italy flourished in the 15th century and spread throughout most of Europe in the 16th century.
What was the Renaissance and why did it happen? Italian life in the 14th and 15th centuries was lived among the vast ruins of the ancient Roman Empire. The cruelty and barbarism of Rome had long been forgotten, and the splendor of that lost civilization's ruins suggested a glorious, golden past. By contrast, the period following the fall of the Rome in the fifth century seemed to some Italian intellectuals and artists to be a period of decline and decay.
An Italian poet by the name of Francesco Petrarch, who lived from 1304 to 1374, was the first to use the term "dark ages" to describe that period. He convinced his influential friends that the way to bring the dark ages to an end was to revive the ideals preserved in the poetry, philosophy, and art of the ancient world.
Petrarch and his followers called themselves humanists because they defended and glorified the value of man's life on earth. The Church, at the time, taught that life was important mainly because the way it was lived had an effect on the soul's fate after death. The humanists believed that mankind had unlimited potential which each individual should stive to achieve. The Renaissance came into being thro...
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...rtists and thinkers the freedom to create and speculate-and, in their spare time, to immortalize their patrons. As wealth flowed into the coffers of the great Italian cities, art prospered and optimism reigned about man's potential to understand the universe and his place in it. Behind all the achievements of the Renaissance lies the belief that man has the capacity to improve himself, to grow and to learn.
Today, we use the term "Renaissance man" to describe someone who can do many things well. The ideal man of the Renaissance was supposed to be a philosopher, a poet, a scholar, a scientist, an artist, a soldier, and a courtier. One of the most amazing aspects of the Renaissance, is that so many of its prominent figures actually deserved the description.
Bibliography:
Turner,Richard A. (1997) Renaissance Florence-The Invention of a new art
The term Renaissance Man or Renaissance Individual refers to a person that is skilled in many talents and/or has extensive knowledge. Through the centuries, there have been many people who have fit this description. People like Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein and Galileo Galilei.
Renaissance The Renaissance started in Italy in the 14th century. It was referred to as the “rebirth” because it brought back attention to art and science. The Middle Ages were really religion-dominated. The Renaissance turned the attention to individual and worldly experiences; they were the main themes of the Renaissance art movement. Art benefited from the patronage of such influential groups as Medici family of Florence, the Sforza family of Milan and the Popes Julius II and Leo X.
Evidently, Leonardo Da Vinci is considered a “Renaissance Man” because of his talent in almost every area. A “Renaissance Man” is someone who is able to do a little bit of everything. That is exactly what his life was; a dedicati...
The Renaissance was a cultural and intellectual movement that had its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries. During these times there was a heightened interest with the classical learning that was brought about in the middle ages. The renaissance first started in Italy and then eventually spread to Western Europe. During this period there was a high interest in the aesthetics of the classical world like architecture. The renaissance focused on the 17th century philosophy which came from the Greeks.
Italian Renaissance followed soon after the Middle Ages. It was the time of discovery and the revival of a new age—known as The Golden Age. The Renaissance witnessed the great discovery, exploration and inventions. This era was introduced by the birth of the philosophy of humanism, which highlighted the significance of individual accomplishment in a broad range of fields. However, it also had a dark side full of corruption, greed and scandal.
The decline of great empires like the Greeks and Romans inspired the rise of a great period of time—the Italian Renaissance. The Italian Renaissance originated in the city of Florence, Italy, which gave the city a surplus of culture and religion. The Renaissance emerged after a period of time that was known as the Dark Ages and lasted from the 14th century and lasted through the 16th century. After the Roman Empire ended, it left much of Europe in a state of cultural incompetence. The Roman Empire, known as the last great empire, was a part of Classical Antiquity and its deterioration left the people of Europe without the “light” it needed to thrive. The transition from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance can be reflected through imagery. Greco-Roman culture was particularly grandiose and was one of the main reasons that Classical Antiquity lasted as long as it did. Without the strong foundation of civilization during the time Classical Antiquity, the Italian Renaissance would not have its precedent for a new era. The Italian Renaissance was an amalgamation of a shift in religious beliefs and embracing predecessors to create a time of innovation and new forms of enlightenment.
The periods between 14th and 17th century were marked by a return to classical ideas and culture, known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance or some may say “Rinascita” meaning rebirth, represented a break away from conformist society and culture of the previous medieval Europe to the revival of lost knowledge. This cultural movement, where changes occurred in almost every aspect of intellectualism, we know evoked in the in the heart of Florence, Italy. The unique characteristics of this city enabled an atmosphere of learning and artistic expression. An independent city like Florence was quickly capable to grow prosperous through trade and banking creating a class of wealthy businessmen who became patrons to individual artists providing them with fund and other necessities. It were these men too who become the most prominent face of the Renaissance movement. The Renaissance marked an important moment in human history and ending of the dark ages. Having changed the way in which people thought has given us many of the freedoms we have today. This essay will be further exploring the que...
The Renaissance time period started in the late 14th century and it lasted all through the 16th century. It all started in the late Middle ages throughout Italy (http://fashionhistory.net) taking at least one-hundred years before it reached the Northern Alps. This was also the period where the word “European” was put in use and understood by other places, and the word “Renascrere” originated from the Italian word “Renascrere” and it meant to be re-born. The word Renascrere fitted perfectly to this age due to the fact that many had intellectual pursuits and creative energy was re-born (www.richeast.org). The Renaissance would be best known for its artistic aspect and famous polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo given the term “Renaissance
A central focus of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was an intellectual movement that claimed the heart of the Renaissance. Humanists studied the classical cultures of Greece and Rome. They used their newly acquired knowledge to develop a better understand of their own times. Humanists, although they were mostly Christian, did not focus of religion. Instead they were fixated on worldly subjects. It was believed that education should stimulate one’s creative mind. Humanists emphasized humanities, which are classic subjects such as grammar and poetry.
The Italian Renaissance included some of the greatest artists we have ever seen from Leonard Da Vinci, to Michelangelo, and Raphael. The Renaissance took place from the late thirteenth to sixteenth centuries and is know as the ‘rebirth’. The idea that the rebirth of the arts after being asleep for a thousand years is an amazing thing to grasp. This time brought back light to liberal arts, which were on the brink of being extinct. (Murray 2) What is also interesting about art during this time was that most of the art had Christian in its roots, for example, Botticelli’s The Allegory of Spring (Faure 1) is said to have had a Christian interpretation. (Murray) “Every Italian artist, willingly took the title of architect, sculptor, and painter” (Faure 2). At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Italian painters had asked the Flemish painters for their secret techniques because the Italians felt like the language of painting was one that was always meant for them. (Faure 4) The sculptors claimed their inspiration from ancient works. Lastly the Renaissance introduced idea of individualism, which helped the Italians get away from everything that was going on during that time. Art during the Renaissance included painting, sculpting and architecture, all of which were an important part in expressing the idea of individualism and making art what is is today.
The Renaissance was a time of change. It began in Italy during the 14th century, and spread throughout the North. People all over Europe were affected, for the better and for the worse. Some people finally had a chance to control their own fate. Others, like upper class women, lost their social status. The values and purposes of Renaissance education were to improve the society, increase the economy, and restore the religious beliefs.
The Renaissance period started in Italy and took place between the 1400’s and the 1600’s. In French, the term Renaissance means rebirth, which is an accurate way to describe that period since it was then that many people chose to break away from the stagnation, incertitude, and extreme hardships that occurred during the Middle Ages and plagued most of Europe. The Renaissance period is noted for being a time when the population sought educational reform which increased literacy and many were able to master more than one skill set. This led to an intellectual, economic, and artistic revolution that transformed several European nations such as Italy, France, Spain, and several others. During this time, there were several developments within the Catholic Church, such as scandals and controversy.
The Renaissance or “rebirth” is a cultural movement that started in Italy during the late 14th century and expanded to the early 17th century. The Renaissance was a bridge that allowed Western Europe to move from the medieval era to the modern era. Renaissance later spread to other parts of Europe. Advances in technology allowed art and architecture to flourish during the Renaissance era. Cities like Florence in Italy saw a spike in artists and architects who have changed from mere paid skilled laborers to professional artists.
Renaissance means rebirth and Italy was just that at this time. People had new ideas and inventions such as military fortifications for the city of Florence. Many people had taken the trade routes back to Rome to find classical ideas and turn them into fresh ideas. Michelangelo was one of those people, he was a great artist, poet, and had many accomplishments. Music also was valued at this time. Many new instruments were made such as the Shawm, a flute like instrument.
The word renaissance means “rebirth” or “reconstruction”, The Renaissance era was a time for the revival of learning. The Renaissance took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; it was a period in which artistic, social, scientific, and political thought turned in new directions.