The Renaissance
By Jorge Roman
What was the change?
The Dark Ages was a time during the fall of the Roman Empire where people only focused on survival and the Church. Where many people were uneducated and in poverty, while priests and church officials where far ahead from them. This was mainly located in the Western Roman Empire, or what it use to be. It was also a time of death, disease and war. Eventually, Some people began reviving interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought. A time where art, such as style and format, literature, and education began flourishing. This was called the Renaissance. The Renaissance mainly took place in Florence,Italy during the 1400-1600. Not only did it allow for works of art to flourish, it also lead to a movement called Humanism. A cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interests in ancient greek and roman thought. Ultimately leading to a social and cultural movement that allowed artists and poets works to flourish.
People associated with the change
Francesco Petrarch
Petrarch was an Italian poet and scholar. He was fascinated in writings of ancient Greece and Rome, and he is also the founder of Humanism. Petrarch was born in Arezzo, Tuscany on July 20, 1304. In 1316, his father sent him to study law in Montpellier France, and he was not able to abandon the subject until his father died in 1326. Eventually he returned to Italy to continue his legal studies but by then he was already fascinated with literature. One of his more popular works of arts are a sizable number of writings called a "Rime", which tell of the great love of his life. He also created a epic poem called "Africa" based on the second punic war; "De viris illustribus" translating to illustrious men; "De vita solitaria" meaning life of solitude; "Epistolae metricae", letters in verse; and "Trionfi", a poem on the progress of the soul that travels from Earth to Heaven. Eventually in 1353, Petrarch permanently moved to Italy, and in 1363 he settled in Padua, Italy. Eventually on July 19, 1374, he died near by Arqua at the age of 70.
Leonardo da Vinci
Da Vinci was a man who excelled in all areas of study earning him the title a Renaissance Man. He was generally gifted in the areas of sculpting, architecture, science, mathematics, mechanics and engineering. He also devised plans for prototypes of much of our modern items. such as the Helicopter, Airplanes and Tanks. Leonardo Da Vinci was on April 15,1452 on his family's estate near Vinci, outside of Florence. While growing up on the estate, he earned some of his education there and when he was 15, his father apprenticed him to an artist called Andrea Del Verrocchio in Florence. Under his influence, he studied panting, sculpture and mechanical arts. At a nearby workshop, Leonardo also became interested in anatomy. He eventually remained in the city for 10 more years due to his acceptance of the painters guild. In 1478 he left Verrocchio's studio to live with the Medici family where he worked on the Garden of the Piazza. Soon Da Vinci went to work on "The Last Supper"; "The Holy Family"; "Mona Lisa"; and "Vitruvian Man". Leonardo also had sketches of many inventions. They include instruments, a mechanical knight, a hydraulic pumps, reversible crank mechanisms, finned mortar shells, and a cannon. Eventually in 1513-1516, he lived in Belvedere in Rome under Pope Leo X. Soon he had been given given use of a manor house called Clos Lucé. He eventually died at Clos Lucé on May 2,1516.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Machiavelli was on of the brightest light of the Renaissance. He was a powerful, influential and thoughtful writers who was devoted to truth and freedom to Florence. Unfortunately, he was misunderstood and misinterpreted due to his writings of "The Prince and Discourses on Livy" in 1513. Others saw the tragic sense of human wickedness rather than seeing the virtue and triumph in his work. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on May 3,1469. Also, due to his family being in poverty, he received much of his education at home. In 1498, he received a government position in the City and stayed in service for 13 years. One of his most vital contributions to the city was to raise a militia, which helped conquer Pise in 1509. Sadly when Giuliano de Medici became ruler of Florence in 1512, Machiavelli lost his post. Eventually he left to his property outside of the city where he spent his time writing his two masterpieces as well as comedy. He soon died on June 21, 1527
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was an Italian artist who was a sculptor and painter. He is also considered one of the greatest artists of all time. Michelangelo was born on March 6,1475 in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany. When he was born his father was a judicial administrator in the small town, Caprese. Eventually His family moved Florence Italy where he was raised. Later, when he was a young boy, he was sent to study grammar under Francesco Da Urbino, but he showed no interest in school work but rather in art. He copyed the pantings of the church and seemed too look for the company from painters. At the age of thirteen, fell under the apprentice of Ghirlandaio,a artist. He was soon sent to a humanist academy where he studied and did art. He was also invited to study the sculptures left from The Roman Empire where he got most of his ideas for his work from. He later went off to create "David", a sculpture that he created that was incredibly life like. Some of his other works include the "Sistine Chapel ceiling" located in Rome, built within the Vatican; "Pietà" a marble sculpture built in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City; and "The Last judgement" painted along with the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Eventually he died of old age on February 18, 1564 while in Rome.
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri was a Italian poet and writer. Dante was born Some time on June in 1256 in Florence Italy. His family has been claimed to have defended from the Romans. Very little is known as to where Dante gained his educated but it is theorized that he had attended a chapter school attached to a church or monastery in Florence or just simply studied at home. But it is known that he studied Tuscan Poetry of the poet Guido Guinzelli. Eventually he went of to create some well known work, Such as the "Divine Comedy", his journey from hell, purgatory and paradise; "La vita Nuova", new life; "Convivio" The Banquet, also one of his largest collection of poems, including unfinished ones; and "De Vugarli Eloquentia", a vernacular literature. Eventually Dante died some time around September 13 or 14 on 1321.
Erasmus
Erasmus was a Renaissance humanist who is well known for writing a book that criticized the church. he was born on October 27, 1466 in Rotterdam Burgundian Netherlands. He lived against the backdrops of the growing European reformation. At the same time he began criticizing the church while keeping a distance. he also emphasized a middle way, with a deep respect for traditional faith, piety and grace, and rejected Luther's emphasis on faith alone, meaning that he believed people should follow the church, even if it may have been corrupt. That showed that stayed a member of the church his entire life, but he remained committed to criticizing the church and its cleric abuses form within. He also began to set his own beliefs. Such as free will, meaning he believed that a person should think on their own rather than the church making their decisions for them. That eventually wine too to anger many reformers. Sadly his life ended quite quickly while preparing to return to Brabant. he died on July 12, 1536
How did the change impact society at the time?
Before the Renaissance was the Dark ages, a time where the majority of people lived in poverty. Eventually that changed. The Renaissance allowed for people to have access to working jobs, which lead to less and less people to be poor at the time. It not only affected individuals, its also affected cities. Many cities began thriving, building a wealthy merchant class which allowed for more trade. Thus making Florence a city of trade and wealth. Also, with trade flourishing at the time, it allowed for people to study cultures around the world, experience different environments, different fabrics, different foods and much more. Allowing for people to have more riches. Also, with the invention of the printing press, it made it more quicker and cheaper for books to be made, which allowed people began to become more educated. Leading to vernacularism and the spread of thought and ideas all around Italy, greatly impacting the society at the time.
How is that change evidenced in today's modern history?
The Renaissance Left an Intellectual and artistic heritage. Due to the influence of the Renaissance artists, sculptors and poets it set out standards for many generations to come. Such as the work of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci for artists; books, poems and literature from Dante, Petrarch and Erasmus for writers and inventions and architecture from Da Vinci and Brunelleschi for architects. Also with some of the inventions made created during the Renaissance, such as the armored car, ornithopter, aerial screw and anemometer have greatly impacted us all around the world. The Ornithopter and the aerial screw have helped use explore the world and the armored car, or a tank, has been of such use during war. And the Anemometer has affected the world of science greatly to by determining directions of wind and the speed it goes. Much of what we have, such a eduction, literature and tools have originated from The Renaissance making our world what it is. And there have been others who have furthered their research in making the world a better and advance place.
Three Image Citations.
"Renaissance"- http://mrblacksarmy.weebly.com/the-renaissance.html
"Renaissance culture"- http://www.edzynda.com/the-php-renaissance-fig-and-psrs/
"Leonardo Da Vinci inventions sketches poster"- http://fineartamerica.com/featured/leonardo-da-vinci-invention-sketches-poster-nenad-cerovic.html