Renaissance: Difference between revisions

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The '''Renaissance''' was a [[cultural movement]] and time period in the [[History of Europe]], considered to mark the end of the [[Middle Ages]]. The Renaissance is usually considered to have begun in the [[14th century]] in Italy and the [[16th century]] in northern [[Europe]].
It is also known as "'''Rinascimento'''" (in Italian).

The following article discusses the '''Renaissance''' in its most traditional form, as a cultural and scientific rebirth that began in [[14th century]] [[Italy]], where one of its main centers was [[Florence, Italy]], and then spread throughout Europe. In [[science]], [[theology]], [[literature]] and [[art]], the Renaissance began with a rediscovery of and focus on older Greek texts which had disappeared from the West in the latter years of the [[Roman Empire]].

"Renaissance" is a [[French]] word that literally means ''rebirth''. This name has been historically used in contrast to the '''[[Dark Ages]]''', a term coined by [[Petrarch]] to refer to what we now call the Middle Ages. Following Petrarch's lead, the term had long been considered appropriate because during the Renaissance, the [[literature]] and culture of the ancient civilizations of [[Greece]] and [[Rome]] were adopted by scholars and artists in Italy, and widely disseminated through [[printing]].

The term '''renaissance''' was probably first applied to this period of history by the Florentine painter [[Vasari]] in around 1550. [[Vasari]] used the term ''Renaissance'' to describe the changes in the world of [[art]] that occurred during that time. Many people today still make the mistake of identifying the renaissance as purely an artistic movement.

More properly, the '''renaissance''' was a movement that embodied both culture, thought, and especially learning. The '''renaissance''' itself can be identified with the rise of [[Humanism]] which began in Italy with authors such as [[Boccaccio]] and [[Petrarch]] in the [[14th century]] and ran through the [[15th century]] with [[Erasmus]] and many others, and into the [[High Renaissance]] period of the [[16th century]] when [[Mannerism]] became prevalent.

Towards the end of the Renaissance, scientists increasingly began to reject [[Greek]] (and biblical) sources in favor of new discoveries. Theologians continued to focus on the [[Greek]], as well as on the relatively new study [[Hebrew]] and [[Aramaic]]. The second half of the Renaissance is also the period of the [[Reformation]], although it could be argued that the conflict between [[Humanism]] and [[Scholasticism]], which was very much the footprint of the Renaissance, was also the starting point for the [[Reformation]]. In any case, the Renaissance and [[Reformation]] overlapped fairly heavily if you were to take a strict time-period viewpoint.

Rinascimento is also considered as a sort of natural evolution of italian [[Umanesimo]].

During the last quarter of the 20th century, however, more and more scholars began to take a view that the '''Renaissance''' was perhaps only one of many such movements. This was in large part due to the work of historians like [[Charles H. Haskins]], who made convincing cases for a "Renaissance of the 12th century," as well as by historians arguing for a "[[Carolingian renaissance]]." Both of these concepts are now accepted by the scholarly community at large; as a result, the present trend among historians is to discuss each so-called renaissance in more particular terms, e.g., the ''Italian Renaissance'', the ''English Renaissance'', etc. This terminology is particularly useful because it eliminates the need for fitting "The renaissance" into a chronology that previously held that it was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the [[Reformation]], which was sometimes patently false. The entire period is now more often replaced by the term 'Early Modern' in the practice of historians. See [[periodization]].

== [[Life in the Renaissance]] ==

Although the Renaissance was a time of significant change in comparison to the [[Middle Ages]], there were times of both peace and prosperity, and war, disease and famine. For the average man in the street (or [[village]]) daily life had changed little since the [[Middle Ages]]. Diet was similar, life was short (an average life expectancy of 30 - 35 years in most parts of [[Europe]], with perhaps a 50% child mortality rate within the first year of life), and war and disease were commonplace.

In comparison to the [[14th century]], however, the [[15th century]] and the [[16th century]] were both times of population growth, economic growth, and relative prosperity, especially for the town people and those of privilege.

=== [[Religion in the Renaissance]] ===

[[Religion in the Renaissance]] can be best summed up by saying that the '''Renaissance''' was a period of huge [[religious]] turmoil. The studies and teachings of the [[Humanists]] eventually lead to the [[Reformation]], and many of the religious debates can be broadly (and as inaccurately as broad generalisations usually are) categorised as a battle between the establishment and the new blood.

Undoubtedly one of the major threads was forged by [[Henry VIII]] of [[England]] when he declared his realm independant of Rome, establishing his own [[Church of England]], and thereby beginning the trend whereby the [[Catholic Church]] ceased to be able to provide a supra-national force of unification.

== [[Learning in the Renaissance]] ==

Perhaps the most significant invention of the Renaissance was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press printing press]. Apart from allowing many copies of the [[Bible]] to be distributed much more easily and cheaply than copying by hand, the new technology allowed wide distribution of [[political]] information, [[Renaissance Music]] works, [[Renaissance Dance]] texts, [[heresy|heresies]], and many other works.

=== [[Renaissance Authors]] ===

* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Alciato Andrea Alciato]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovico_Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Bruni Leonardo Bruni]
* [[Giovanni Boccaccio]]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erasmus_of_Rotterdam Erasmus of Rotterdam]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne Michel de Montaigne]
* [[Petrarch]], Francesco Petrarca
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castiglione Castiglione]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coluccio_Salutati Coluccio Salutati]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francois_Rabelais Francois Rabelais]
* [[William Shakespeare]]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More Thomas More]

=== [[Science and Technology in the Renaissance]] ===

[[Science and Technology in the Renaissance]] was focussed around the major sciences of [[astrology]] and [[geometry]], as well as [[medicine]], [[magic]] and [[alchemy]]. Although [[astronomy]] was a major emerging science, it did not truly come into its own until after the end of the [[16th century]]. Until [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler Johannes Kepler], [[astronomy]] was a science that was studied purely to enable better understanding of [[astrology]].

For example, [[Copernicus]], probably the man most recognisably a [[scientist]] of his day, studied [[medicine]], [[canon law]] and [[philosophy]] and earned a living as a [[secretary]] and a [[doctor]].

Nonetheless, the advent of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press printing press] did allow for much wider distribution of scientific thought during the Renaissance than had been possible in the [[Middle Ages]] and so [[scientist]]s throughout [[Europe]] were able to collaborate on works and exchange [[theories]] in a way that was not previously possible. Everyone knew what everyone else was working on, even if it was completely wrong.

=== [[Philosophy in the Renaissance]] ===

* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_of_Cusa Nicholas of Cusa]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsilio_Ficino Marsilio Ficino]
* [[Niccolo Machiavelli]]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Guicciardini Francesco Guicciardini]

== [[The Arts in the Renaissance]] ==

=== [[Renaissance Painting and Sculpture]] ===

* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Angelico Fra Angelico]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto_di_Bondone Giotto di Bondone]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch Hieronymus Bosch]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Brueghel_the_Elder Pieter Brueghel the Elder]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Brueghel_the_Younger Pieter Brueghel the Younger]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Brueghel_the_Elder Jan Brueghel the Elder]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Brueghel_the_Younger Jan Brueghel the Younger]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donatello Donatello]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandro_Botticelli Sandro Botticelli]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_Durer Albrecht Durer]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo Michelangelo]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffaello_Santi Raphael], Raffaello Sanzio
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci Leonardo da Vinci]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Eyck Jan van Eyck]
* [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogier_van_der_Weyden Rogier van der Weyden]

=== [[Renaissance Music]] ===

The advent of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press printing press] in the Renaissance allowed the wide distribution of printed music. This allowed composers to sell their work more widely and obtain a better living. Important Renaissance composers and arrangers of music include [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josquin_Des_Prez Josquin Des Prez] and [[Tielman Susato]].

=== [[Renaissance Dance]] ===

Although dance as an art form was well known in the [[middle ages]], the first recorded dance instructions and [[choreography]] date from the middle of the [[15th century]].

Early Italian dancemasters include [[Domenico da Piacenza]] and his students [[Antonio Cornazano]] and [[Guglielmo Ebreo]] (Guglielmo the [[Jew]]).

Dance masters of the late [[16th century]] include the Italians [[Fabritio Caroso]] and [[Cesare Negri]] as well as the frenchmen [[Thoinot Arbeau]] and [[Antoine Arena]].

=== Renaissance Jokes ===
Various jokes written by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] in his notebooks have survived to us, such as the following:

It was asked of a [[painting|painter]] why, since he made such beautiful figures, which were but dead things, his children were so ugly; to which the painter replied that he made his pictures by day, and his children by night.

Reference: See below (External Links)

== External Links ==

* [http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance/VirtualRen.html Renaissance Virtual Tour]
* [http://www.leonardo-history.com/humorist.htm Jokes by Leonardo da Vinci]
[[category:periods]]

Revision as of 03:30, 28 March 2007

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