Renaissance

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Renaissance

Q: What does the word “Renaissance” mean?

Renaissance is a French word meaning “rebirth.” It refers to a period in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. The Renaissance saw many contributions to different fields, including new scientific laws, new forms of art and architecture, and new religious and political ideas.

Q: When did the Renaissance happen?

There is some debate over when exactly the Renaissance began. However, it is generally believed to have begun in Italy during the 14th century, after the end of the Middle Ages , and it reached its height there between the 1490s and the 1520s, a period referred to as the High Renaissance. Renaissance ideas and ways of thinking also began spreading to the rest of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Renaissance as a unified historical period ended in Italy with the fall of Rome in 1527 , and it was eclipsed by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation elsewhere in Europe by the end of the 16th century.

Q: Who are some important people of the Renaissance?

Prominent figures of the Renaissance, understood as a broadly European era, include philosopher and statesman Niccolò Machiavelli , known for the political treatise The Prince ; Francis Bacon , a statesman and philosopher considered the master of the English tongue; the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus , who developed the theory that the solar system was centred on the Sun; the poets Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio , who laid the foundations for humanism , the mode of thought at the core of the Renaissance; William Shakespeare , considered the greatest English dramatist of all time; astronomer and mathematician Galileo , who helped disprove much medieval-era thinking in science; and the explorers Christopher Columbus , Ferdinand Magellan , and Hernán Cortés .

Q: What is Renaissance art?

One of the fields that embodied the Renaissance was fine art, especially painting and sculpture . Renaissance art was inspired by Classical Greek and Roman art, and it is known for its grace, harmony, and beauty. Artists worked from the living model and perfected techniques such as the use of perspective. In addition, the Renaissance saw the refinement of mediums, notably oils . Leonardo da Vinci , Michelangelo , and Raphael are widely considered the leading artists of the period.

Q: What does “Renaissance man” mean?

The idea of a Renaissance man developed in Italy and derived from Leon Battista Alberti ’s notion that “a man can do all things if he will.” The ideal embodied the basic tenets of Renaissance humanism , which considered humankind the centre of the universe and led to the belief that people should try to embrace all knowledge and develop their own abilities as fully as possible. Leonardo da Vinci is a leading example of a Renaissance man, noted for his achievements in art , science , music , invention, and writing.

European history

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 7, 2024 • Article History

Leonardo da Vinci: Last Supper

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Category: History & Society

French:: “Rebirth”

Location:: Europe; France; Holland; Italy

Key People:: Erasmus; Giotto; Leonardo da Vinci; Michelangelo; Claudio Monteverdi

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What does the word “Renaissance” mean?

When did the Renaissance happen?

Who are some important people of the Renaissance?

What is Renaissance art?

What does “Renaissance man” mean?

Renaissance, period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages and conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in Classical scholarship and values. The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner’s compass, and gunpowder. To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of Classical learning and wisdom ...(100 of 2219 words)

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