3.
The Renaissance in Europe
3.1 The Background of the Renaissance
‘the Renaissance’ revolutionary transformation
• With the collapse of the Roman civilization in the 5th
century AD, the thriving period that had so far existed in
Europe came to an end.
• The succeeding period of about 1000 years (500-1500 AD) is
called the medieval era of Europe.
• Towards the end of the medieval period, the Europeans began to develop a great
• interest in the ancient Greco-Roman civilization.
• Accordingly, they began to study the writings belonging to that civilization and also to learn
Greek and Latin languages that had been used in the ancient civilization.
• Therefore, the cultural trends that had prevailed during that civilization were
becoming popular once again in Europe.
• This situation was indeed a renaissance in European history.
• This broad transformation that took place in the fields of arts and science from 14th to 16th
centuries affected to mold the present history of the world.
• This transformation started from Italy.
Contributory Factors that brought about the Renaissance
1. City of Constantinople becoming under Turkish power
• There had been trade relationships between Asia and Europe since ancient times.
• City of Constantinople became very significant as a commercial center where the goods that
were brought from Asia to Europe through traditional trade routes were traded.
• Traders from European countries came to Constantinople, bought goods and sold them in the
European countries.
• European trade collapsed after the Muslim Turks
captured Constantinople in 1453.
• Consequently, the scholars who lived in Constantinople fled
the city to their countries carrying with them the valuable
Greek and Roman books that were kept in the
• libraries of the city, and they also took measures to promote
in their cities Greek and Latin languages.
• Those books were studied extensively in institutes such
as University of Bologna in Italy and this resulted in a
revitalization of the ancient Greek and Roman
civilizations.
2. Expansion of Trade and Creation of a Wealthy Class
• Growth that had occurred in the field of trade in Europe since 12th century AD was a major
factor that contributed to the Renaissance.
• Well-developed commercial cities such as Venice, Genoa and Florence in Italy came up
because of the trade that increased between countries in the East and the West during that
period.
• The rich who lived in those cities had not only enough leisure to pay attention to
• various fields of art, but also enough wealth to sponsor such activities.
• The wealthy family named the Medici in the city of Florence was an example for a family
who gave patronage for arts activities of the city
3. Intellectual Revival
• Before the Renaissance, there was an education centered on the Catholic Church in Europe.
• Only a few subjects such as the scriptures (Dewadharmaya), philosophy and
• law was taught under that system.
• However, after 12th century, universities began to be established in Europe.
Universities that were established in Europe towards the end of the Medieval era.
• Subjects like classical literature, history and drama Country University
were taught in these universities. Italy Bologna, Padua
• Invention of the printing press by Johannes France Paris
Gutenberg during the Renaissance era brought about England Oxford, Cambridge
a revolution in the expansion of knowledge.
3.2 Coming of the Renaissance
Creation of new scholars
• During the Renaissance era there was an Writer Country
increase in the use of books written in Greek Dante Italy Italy
and Latin languages resulting in a revival of
those languages. William Shakespeare England
• As a result, there was a wide expansion not only Erasmus France
in learning of those languages, but also in
learning of literature, too, due to which many modern scholars were created.
Coming up of Humanism
Due to Humanism, education was not limited to the study of religion, it transformed into
studying of man and man’s living.
Arts and Crafts
Changes in art brought about by the Renaissance
Painting
• City of Florence in Italy was the center in which a new form of painting was introduced.
Artists and about their creations.
Leonardo da Vinci à Leonardo da Vinci is an Italian. He was an artist, architecture,
engineer, poet and musician as well. The paintings titled ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last
Supper’ are widely regarded as his masterpieces.
Michelangelo à Michelangelo was a great painter. He was also a renowned sculptor and
architecture. Ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel in Rome are widely known as
Michelangelo’s masterworks. The painting titled ‘Last Judgment’ is one of his great
works.
Sculpture
o Creating sculptures out of marble was a special feature of this period.
Ex:
• Michelangelo à The Pieta, David and Moses
• Donatello à The statue of St. John
Architecture
The buildings constructed during this period included round
arches, tall pillars and hemispherical domes which were used in
the buildings that had been constructed in ancient Rome.
EX: St Peter’s Basilica in Rome
New scientific inventions of the Renaissance era
New theories presented about the universe
Nicolaus Copernicus
• Copernicus discovered that the Earth is spherical and that
the Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun.
• Accordingly, the belief that had been established earlier which
said that the earth is flat was given up.
• Because of the invaluable service he rendered to the field of
astronomy he is called the ‘father of astronomy’.
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler further established the theories
presented by Copernicus and went on to work on
them.
He discovered that all the planets in the solar system
move around the sun not along a circular path,
but along an elliptical path.
Galileo Galilei
He invented the telescope and observed celestial
bodies.
Because of this great invention, craters and
mountains on the Moon, sunspots and the moons of
Jupiter could be observed.
Development in Medicine
• William Harvey – He discovered important facts about the blood circulatory system of the
human body.
• Dr Paracelsus – He carried out experiments on the causes of diseases and treatment for
diseases.
• Michael Sertex - Michael Sertex discovered facts about how blood is pumped from the right
ventricle into the lungs, purified there and travels back to the
heart, and finally
circulates through the body.