The Renaissance Fact Sheet

I can explain the historical influence of the Italian Renaissance..

The Italian Renaissance was a great rebirth of the philosophical and artistic ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome. The fascination with the humanities spread throughout Europe.

The movement began when Italian city states grew rich from trade and industry, and wealthy patrons such as the Medici family funded the arts.

Italy was divided into several city states among these were Florence, Venice, and Rome. Often, there were internal power struggles for control of these nations as indicated in events such as the Pazzi Conspiracy.

Classic literature that blended Humanism with Christianity became very popular such as Dante Aleghiri’s Divine Comedy, which tells about man’s journey through hell (Inferno) and ascension to heaven (Paradiso).

Early Italian writers dealt with ideal human emotion such as the love sonnets of Francesco Petrarch or the classic Book of Courtiers by Baldassare Castiglione which demonstrated the rules and behaviors of courtship during the Renaissance.

Among the most famous of the writings was the political writing The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli which portrayed the political climate of the Italian city states focusing on the leadership of Cesare Borgia as the model leader..

Architecture involved stately cathedrals such as St. Peter’s Basilica begun by Brunelleschi and completed by Michelangelo, who also painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which includes the famous fresco Creation of Adam.

Sculpture was another popular art form. Of notable mention is Michelangelo’s The David and La Pieta both of which have a religious nature.

The idea of the Renaissance man was embodied in Leonardo DaVinci who is famous for his anatomical drawing The Vitruvian Man, his classic Mona Lisa (the most recognized piece of art in human history) and his religious fresco The Last Supper.

The frescos of Raphael include the two angels pictured at the bottom of the Sistine Madonna and his classic School of Athens which includes famous people of Renaissance dressed as the Ancient Greek philosophers.

I can explain the historical influences of the Northern Renaissance.

The greatest invention of the Renaissance the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg led to a spread in literature and helped spread the ideas of the Renaissance and Reformation and Scientific Exploration and Age of Exploration and…

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch scholar who began to expose the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church and spread humanist ideas. His literary work In Praise of Folly ridiculed the ignorance, superstition, and vices of the church leaders.

Thomas More was the counselor for Henry VIII. His literary work Utopia described the ideal society which focused heavily on equality. More was later executed by Henry VIII for his refusal to recognize him as head of the church.

William Shakespeare is often regarded as one of the most famous authors in history. His tragedies, romances, histories, and comedies lead to the establishment of the Globe Theater and his works are still performed today.

The Flemish School is a group of painters heavily influenced by the Italian Renaissance. The Van Eyck brothers painted many religious works while Pieter Brueghel often painted landscapes and Durer did copper engravings and woodcuts.