Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement from the 14th to the 16th century. The word renaissance (rinascimento in Italian) literally means "rebirth", and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity after the period that Renaissance humanists labelled the Dark Ages. These changes, while significant, were concentrated in the elite, and for the vast majority of the population life was little changed from the Middle Ages.

Related Topics:
Renaissance - 14th - 16th century - Classical antiquity - Renaissance humanists - Dark Ages - Middle Ages

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The Italian Renaissance began in northern Italy, centered in the city of Florence. It then spread south, having an especially significant impact on Rome, which was largely rebuilt by the Renaissance popes. The Italian Renaissance peaked in the late 15th century as foreign invasions plunged the region into turmoil. However, the ideas and ideals of the Renaissance spread into the rest of Europe, setting off the Northern Renaissance and English Renaissance.

Related Topics:
Northern Italy - Florence - Rome - Pope - 15th century - Northern Renaissance - English Renaissance

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The Italian Renaissance is best known for the cultural achievements during the period. This includes works of literature by such figures as Petrarch, Castiglione, and Machiavelli, artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and great works of architecture such as The Duomo in Florence and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. At the same time, present-day historians also see the era as one of economic regression and of little progress in science.

Related Topics:
Literature - Petrarch - Castiglione - Machiavelli - Artists - Michaelangelo - Leonardo da Vinci - Architecture - The Duomo - St. Peter's Basilica - Science

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