IRS 123 : TOPIC 1

THE RENAISSANCE
INTRODUCTION
The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political
and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally described as
taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance
promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art. Some of
the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and artists in human
history thrived during this era, while global exploration opened up new lands
and cultures to European commerce. The Renaissance is credited with be the
ridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.

Renaissance was an incredible period in our human history, when some of the
most important cultural advancements of all time were made. These
developments expanded across fields of architecture, literature, philosophy,
science, politics and more.

THE BIRTH OF RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history
where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists.

The origins of the movement can be traced back to 14th century Florence,
Italy. As the movement progressed it reached across Italy, hitting a high point
in Rome, and eventually moving into the rest of Europe.

Florence was able to found the Renaissance in the 14th century because it was
so prosperous. This wealth was mostly brought about by the establishment of
successful trade throughout Asia and East Europe. On a grimmer note, some
even say the Black Death that wiped out much of Florence’s population had a
silver lining, leaving smaller numbers to benefit from the city’s wealth.
Various prominent dynasties emerged who became important cultural
patrons – the most famous were the Medici family, who funded an array of
projects and ventures that still exist today, while others included the Sassetti
and Tornabuoni families.

Members of the powerful Medici family, which ruled Florence for more than
60 years, were famous backers of the movement

Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they were
participating in an intellectual and artistic revolution that would be much
different from what they experienced during the Dark Ages.

The movement first expanded to other Italian city-states, such as Venice,

Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. Then, during 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 still revolutionary.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance was characterized

● The growth of humanism, the centrality of the human being and human
achievements. Renaissance writers, thinkers, and artists focused their
attention on what it means to be human. Writers explored the human
condition. Artists painted the human body in new and creative ways.
Thinkers explored the inner workings of the human mind, human
relationships, and human society. Just think about the human-centered
works of Leonardo da Vinci, for instance, or Machiavelli's political
musings in The Prince to get an idea of Renaissance humanism.

● The Renaissance was a time of rediscovery of the classical Greek and

Roman traditions, and scholars immersed themselves in the
philosophies and texts of the ancient world. They learned the
languages, created new translations, and drew life lessons from their
ancestors. Renaissance queen Elizabeth I of England, for instance,
translated several ancient works by the likes of Cicero and Seneca.
 ● The Renaissance was also a time of discovery, a time when people
reached out to the wider world. Explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and
Christopher Columbus took to the oceans to find new trade routes and
new continents. New navigational tools like the astrolabe and magnetic
compass came into wider use as sailors ranged farther afield. Whole
new worlds opened up before European eyes, worlds they had hardly
even dreamed to exist.

● With this exploration and discovery, commerce flourished. The

Renaissance saw the rise of a money economy, expanded trade,
banking, and city life.

● More people became involved in business activities and money making.

International, even worldwide.

● Trade blossomed as new sea routes opened new or expanded

commercial channels (like spices from the Indies, for example), and
cities grew to incorporate these new ventures.

Indeed, the Renaissance was an exciting time, filled with possibilities, beauty,
great ideas, scientific discoveries, new vistas, and increasing

THE SPREAD OF RENAISSANCE

● First, the Renaissance ideas spread to Europe more quickly once several
of the major conflicts had ended. For example, the Hundred Years’ War
was a series of conflicts in Northern Europe between the kingdoms of
France and England that occurred from 1337 to 1453. As stated
previously, the war was fought over the control of territory in France
and ultimately involved multiple kingdoms in western and northern
Europe going to war. As a result, these regions were not as open to
change and new ideas at the time because they were preoccupied with
constant conflict. This slowed or prevented the spread of the
Renaissance ideas in the earlier years of the Renaissance. However,
when the Hundred Years’ War ended in the mid-15th century it allowed
the ideas of the Italian Renaissance from the 14th century to extend
north and west to other parts of Europe. As such, Europe experienced a
 relative period of peace in the 15th century after earlier centuries of
war which allowed for more interaction, trade a travel which helped the
new ideas to spread.

● The next major innovation that caused the Renaissance to spread out of
Italy were related to the new art being developed by famous
Renaissance artists. Today, the Renaissance is perhaps best known for
the famous artists and their famous works of art. In the Renaissance,
European artists were inspired to create paintings and sculptures that
focused on the realities of everyday life and real people. This was likely
due to the influence of humanism that helped spark the Renaissance.
Therefore, these innovations in art helped spread the Renaissance ideas
as more artists across Europe adopted the new techniques and
methods.

● The next reason for the spread of the Renaissance out of Italy and into
the rest of Europe was the migration of people in the years before and
during the Renaissance. While travel in the time of the Middle Ages and
Renaissance was difficult and not often carried out by most people it
was still necessary. For example, trade was vitally important to the
economy in Europe and many Europeans enjoyed goods from far-away
places. The largest and most well known trade network of the time was
the Silk Road.
Obviously, Chinese and Mongol traders played an important role in the
Silk Road, as many of their goods were highly desired in faraway
markets, such as Europe. Therefore, European traders often travelled to
areas in the Middle East to secure rare and desirable products, from the
far East. While the Silk Road is generally remembered for the food and
goods that were traded along the route, it is important to understand
that the Silk Road also involved the exchange of ideas.

● Furthermore, religious and philosophical beliefs from the time

period spread easily along the routes and had a profound impact
on later events such as the Renaissance. This influx of new ideas
 inspired people in Europe including artists, writers, philosophers
and more.

of Flo

● Further to this idea, people also fled the cities through Europe
during the timeframe of the Black Death to avoid the effects of the
bubonic plague. The Black Death is one of the most important
events in Western history and is often viewed as a cause of the
Renaissance. The Black Death occurred during the 14th century
and ravaged human populations throughout Asia and Europe as it
spread along trade routes and through trading ports. . As a result
of the effects of the Black Death many people migrated out of
areas that were heavily impacted and suffering. This caused
people to travel through Europe and led to the spread of many of
the new ideas of the Renaissance reaching new communities.
Therefore, the Black Death helped spread the Renaissance ideals
out of Italy and into the rest of Europe.

PIONEERS OF RENAISSANCE
Some of the most famous and groundbreaking Renaissance intellectuals,
artists, scientists and writers include the likes of:

● Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519): Italian painter, architect, inventor and

“Renaissance man” responsible for painting “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last
Supper.
● Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536): Scholar from Holland who defined the
humanist movement in Northern Europe. Translator of the New Testament
into Greek.
● Rene Descartes (1596–1650): French philosopher and mathematician
regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Famous for stating, “I think;
therefore I am.”
● Galileo (1564-1642): Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer whose
pioneering work with telescopes enabled him to describes the moons of
 Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Placed under house arrest for his views of a
heliocentric universe.
● Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543): Mathematician and astronomer who made
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
who authored “The Divine Comedy.”
● Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527): Italian diplomat and philosopher famous
for writing “The Prince” and “The Discourses on Livy.”
The second reason for why the spread
of the Renaissance eventually sped up
was due to innovations in publishing and
art. In terms of publishing, the printing
press was one of the most significant
innovations in all of world history.
German blacksmith, goldsmith and
printer Johannes Gutenberg developed
the first printing press in the mid-1400s
and it quickly had a profound impact on
the events of the Renaissance (as well
as later events such as the
Enlightenment). Prior to the printing
press, books and other literature were
created through a varied assortment of
methods (woodblock press, etc.) which
were all labor intensive and slow.
Gutenberg’s invention was the
development of a hand mold that
allowed for precise movable type. This
meant that he perfected the process of
making movable type pieces for easily
and quickly constructing type-font
documents. This sped up the printing
process and made it extremely
affordable, which allowed for an
explosion in the publishing and printing
of books. For example, the Gutenberg
Bible was the first book to be mass
produced on the Gutenberg printing
press. The invention and use of the
printing press in Europe was important
for the Renaissance because it allowed
new ideas and worldviews to spread
across the continent more easily. At its
core, the Renaissance was about new
ideas (such as humanism) overthrowing
The next major innovation that caused the Renaissance to spread out of Italy
were related to the new art being developed by famous Renaissance artists.
Today, the Renaissance is perhaps best known for the famous artists and
their famous works of art. In the Renaissance, European artists were inspired
to create paintings and sculptures that focused on the realities of everyday life
and real people. This was likely due to the influence of humanism that helped
spark the Renaissance. Also, just as scholars such as Petrarch were inspired
by earlier Greek and Roman workers, so too were Renaissance artists. This
meant realism and the human form were important and central to the new
styles of art. Furthermore, Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da
Vinci and Michelangelo pioneered new skills and techniques, such as linear
perspective and sfmuato, that allowed them to portray people and the world in
news ways. Because Italian artists were at the forefront of these new styles
and techniques in art, they inspired others throughout Europe to use the same
techniques. As a result, this caused the ideals of the Renaissance in Italy,
including humanism, to spread throughout Europe. Therefore, these
innovations in art helped spread the Renaissance ideas as more artists across
Europe adopted the new techniques and methods.
The next reason for the spread of the Renaissance out of Italy and into the
rest of Europe was the migration of people in the years before and during the
Renaissance. While travel in the time of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
was difficult and not often carried out by most people it was still necessary.
For example, trade was vitally important to the economy in Europe and many
Europeans enjoyed goods from far-away places. The largest and most well
known trade network of the time was the Silk Road. It is perhaps one of the
earliest and largest trade networks in human history, and played a vital role to
many different civilizations throughout Eurasia from approximately 120 BCE to
1450 CE. At its height, the Silk Road stretched from Japan and China in the
east to the Mediterranean area including Italy in the west, which was a span of
over 4000 miles. Along the way it travelled through many different regions
including: India, Persia, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. There
were many different civilizations that participated in the Silk Road over the
centuries of its existence. Obviously, Chinese and Mongol traders played an
important role in the Silk Road, as many of their goods were highly desired in
faraway markets, such as Europe. Therefore, European traders often
travelled to areas in the Middle East to secure rare and desirable products,
from the far East. While the Silk Road is generally remembered for the food
and goods that were traded along the route, it is important to understand that
the Silk Road also involved the exchange of ideas. Furthermore, religious and
philosophical beliefs from the time period spread easily along the routes and
had a profound impact on later events such as the Renaissance. This influx
of new ideas inspired people in Europe including artists, writers, philosophers
and more.
 Silk Road Map (Click to Enlarge

While people migrated throughout Europe for trade, they also migrated to find
work and to avoid the effects of the spread of the bubonic plague. Major city
centers became much more important in the 14th century and caused some
people to migrate from the countryside to city centers in search of work. The
best example of this is in the Italian city-states
of Florence, Genoa and Venice. Further to this idea, people also fled the
cities through Europe during the timeframe of the Black Death to avoid the
effects of the bubonic plague. The Black Death is one of the most important
events in Western history and is often viewed as a cause of the Renaissance.
The Black Death occurred during the 14th century and ravaged human
populations throughout Asia and Europe as it spread along trade routes and
through trading ports. The death toll of the Black Death is a debated topic and
different historians have offered different views on the issue. Regardless, the
reported death tolls are massive with some suggesting that it resulted in the
deaths of between 75 and 200 million people in Europe and Asia. These high
numbers suggest that between 30% and 60% of people died due to the
infectious disease. Some regions suffered more than others, but in general it
is widely accepted that approximately half of Europeans died as a result of the
disease. For example, it has been recorded that both Paris, France and
London, England saw half of their populations succumb to the pandemic. As
a result of the effects of the Black Death many people migrated out of areas
that were heavily impacted and suffering. This caused people to travel
through Europe and led to the spread of many of the new ideas of the
Renaissance reaching new communities. Therefore, the Black Death helped
spread the Renaissance ideals out of Italy and into the rest of Europe.

CITE THIS ARTICLE

AUTHOR

● Elias Beck

TITLE

● 'How Did the Ideas of the Renaissance Spread?'

WEBSITE / PUBLISHER

● History Crunch ([Link])

URL
 ● [Link]
[Link]#/

LAST UPDATED

● March 25, 2022

FIRST PUBLISHED

● August 18, 2018

RENAISSANCE RESOURCES
Columbian Exchange - PowerPoint with Cloze Notes
(Plants, Animals, Diseases)
Black Death - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Crusades - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Silk Road - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Florence in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes
Copy
Genoa in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Milan in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Naples in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Rome in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Venice in the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Causes of the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes Copy
Europe Before the Renaissance - PowerPoint with Notes
Copy

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The next major innovation that caused the Renaissance to

spread out of Italy were related to the new art being
developed by famous Renaissance artists. Today, the
Renaissance is perhaps best known for the famous artists
and their famous works of art. In the Renaissance,
European artists were inspired to create paintings and
sculptures that focused on the realities of everyday life
and real people. This was likely due to the influence
of humanism that helped spark the Renaissance. Also,
just as scholars such as Petrarch were inspired by earlier
Greek and Roman workers, so too were Renaissance
artists. This meant realism and the human form were
important and central to the new styles of art.
Furthermore, Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da
Vinci and Michelangelo pioneered new skills and
techniques, such as linear perspective and sfmuato, that
allowed them to portray people and the world in news
ways. Because Italian artists were at the forefront of these
new styles and techniques in art, they inspired others
throughout Europe to use the same techniques. As a
result, this caused the ideals of the Renaissance in Italy,
including humanism, to spread throughout Europe.
Therefore, these innovations in art helped spread the
Renaissance ideas as more artists across Europe adopted
the new techniques and methods.

From Italy It Spread Throughout Europe for

Centuries

Pieter Breughel II, The Birdtrap, 1565, image courtesy of Christie’s

Such was the radicalism of the Italian Renaissance, its influence spread
throughout Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries, and new ideas,
concepts and beliefs became increasingly advanced and sophisticated. Notable
nations who made significant contributions to the Renaissance period
include Germany, England, Spain and France – each country took varying
approaches and made their own ground-breaking contributions to art, science
and culture. But what all shared was an emphasis on scientific rationalism and
reasoning, and a desire to master an advanced understanding of the world
around them.

The Renaissance is best-known for its creative legacy, which

originated in Florence. Florentine painter Giotto di Bondone explored
startling new levels of realism, form and facial expression. At a similar
time, Florentine architect, designer and sculptor Filippo
Brunelleschi discovered linear perspective, allowing artists to create
unbelievably real qualities of depth and space. As ideas expanded
from one generation to the next, artists became increasingly more
ambitious in their quest to make powerful and meaningful connections
between art and the real world around them.

Although the early Renaissance began in Florence, the pinnacle of the

movement – the High Renaissance – happened in Rome. It was led
by the big three: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo. Pope
Leo X (a member of the Medici family) filled the city of Rome with a
stunning array of religious buildings and artworks to promote the
cause of Catholicism across the city. Artists dazzled audiences with
sublime visions that were startlingly real, invoking the fear and wonder
of God.

Such was the radicalism of the Italian Renaissance, its influence

spread throughout Europe from the 14th to the 17th centuries, and
new ideas, concepts and beliefs became increasingly advanced and
sophisticated. Notable nations who made significant contributions to
the Renaissance period include Germany, England, Spain and France
– each country took varying approaches and made their own ground-
breaking contributions to art, science and culture. But what all shared
was an emphasis on scientific rationalism and reasoning, and a desire
to master an advanced understanding of the world around them

The Pioneers of renaissances

Renaissance in Florence: Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-

1446)
Filippo Brunelleschi is considered one of the most important
figures in the history of architecture. He spent years studying the
ruins and remains of the ancient civilizations, especially
the Roman Empire. By doing so, he gained an understanding of
design and proportion that became his hallmark. Using ingenious
and innovative engineering, Filippo Brunelleschi built the
huge cupola atop Florence’s cathedral, the first large-scale dome
constructed since antiquity.

Brunelleschi also worked in the fields of sculpture, mechanics, and

drawing. He was also the first artist to formally explain the idea of
linear perspective, a concept that became essential to
late Renaissance painting.

. Donatello (1386-1466
The influence of classical principles is evident in Donatello’s work. His
most famous piece, the bronze David, was the first free-standing nude
statue made since antiquity, paving the way for the rediscovery of
antiquity in Europe.

Jan van Eyck (1390-1441)

One of the earlier figures in Renaissance art, Dutch artist Jan van
Eyck revolutionized Northern European painting and created some of
the world’s most coveted masterpieces. This Renaissance artist
produced a range of devotional, political, and personal works, mainly
in the form of portraits and altarpieces. He was an industrious and
versatile artist.