What was the Renaissance?
The Renaissance was a period of renewed interest in art, science and classical learning in Europe, roughly from the 14th to the 17th century. It began in Italy.
Renaissance means rebirth in French. Scholars rediscovered the writings of ancient Greece and Rome and developed humanism, an approach that focused on human potential, education and life on Earth. Wealthy families, such as the Medici of Florence, paid artists and thinkers to work for them.
Artists studied anatomy, perspective and light to make their work more lifelike. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo carved David and painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and Raphael and Botticelli created some of the most famous paintings in history.
Spreading ideas
Gutenberg's printing press, developed around 1440, helped spread Renaissance ideas across Europe. The period also saw advances in science and exploration, such as Copernicus's Sun-centered model of the solar system and the voyages of Columbus and Magellan.
Did You Know?
Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of notebook pages with designs for flying machines, armored vehicles and diving equipment, written in mirror-image handwriting.