Renaissance: Origins, Features, Spread

Definition and time range of the Renaissance

The Renaissance was a European cultural and historical period that began at the end of the Late Middle Ages and the start of the early modern era. It is commonly defined in different ways: either as covering the 15th and 16th centuries, or more broadly as lasting from the 14th century to the 17th century. It is associated with a European “rediscovery and revival” of the literary, philosophical, and artistic achievements of classical antiquity, and it brought major changes in art, architecture, politics, literature, exploration, and technology. Its timing is not uniform across Europe. In Italy, the Renaissance is conventionally said to end with the waning of humanism and the onset of major upheavals such as the Reformation (1517), the Sack of Rome (1527), or the Counter-Reformation (1545), along with the transition to the Baroque in art. Some historians argue for a “long Renaissance,” extending beyond these conventional endpoints into the 17th century (especially outside Italy). In addition, traces of Renaissance developments appear earlier in Italy, with early influences visible in the late 13th century (e.g., Dante and Giotto).

0/2 modes complete

Rediscovery of classical antiquity achievements

0/2 modes complete