Impact Of The Renaissance Essay

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The impact of the

Renaissance on Europe



Jacob Burckhardt best describes the renaissance as the prototype of the


modern world, for it was the period between the fourteenth and fifteenth century


in Italy, when the base of modern civilisation was formed. It was mainly through


the revival of ancient learning that new scientific values first began to overthrow


traditional religious beliefs. People started to accept a new rational and objective


approach to reality and most important of all to rediscover the importance of the


individual. The result in Burckhardt words, was the release of the’ full whole


nature of man’. However the Renaissance biggest contribution was the way


different important individuals through their logical revelations managed to


diminish the power of the Catholic Church. (Craig, Graham, Kagan, Ozment,


Turner; The heritage of world civ; pg.493-494)


Medieval Europe before the Renaissance had been a fragmented feudal


society with an agriculturally based economy, and its culture and dominated by


the Church. After the fourteenth century was characterised by the growing


national consciousness and political centralisation based on organised


commerce and capitalism, along with the secular control of thought and culture.


It was in Italy from around the time 1375 to the sack of Rome (1527) that


the distinctive features and impacts of the renaissance era are revealed.


(Internet 1)


Italy having a geographic advantage, laying in the centre of the commerce


between the east and west. Due to this fact rich and urban cities were formed in


Italy. There started to be more Italian cities than there were people in them.


Trade monopolies were formed to ensure profitability of trade and manufacturing,


but only those with sufficient capital could engage in either. For example, in


Florence 10% of the families controlled 90% of the wealth. These wealthy


families established power over these city-states (just like the Greek polis) to


which the people inhabiting inside could say they belonged to. A sense of


competition was formed between families of different cities, and as one knows


competition somehow always leads to development. Each family then tried to be


better by building churches and sponsoring great painters such as Raphael and


Michelangelo (whom will be later elaborated upon). Even the Pope got in on the


competition.


During the era bread remained the most widely consumed foodstuff, but


even subsistence consumers were beginning to supplement their diets with meat


and dairy products. There would be more pork and lamb in the diet of ordinary


people than there would be for the next four hundred years. Therefore one can


argue that the standard of living was quite higher than before. However the


common enemy still remained, that I nature and its diseases. (Kishlansky, Geary,


O’Brien; Civ in the west; pg.329-330)


Although there were outstanding advances made in the renaissance era, it


has to be concluded that the three most important and most developed areas


have to the advances made in art, sculpture and painting. Few renaissance


artists restricted themselves to one area of artistic expression, and many created


works of enduring beauty in more than one medium. Of the many important and


gifted artists of the time, only three will be discussed. (Craig, Graham, Kagan,


Ozment, Turner; The heritage of world civ; pg.499-500)


Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) exhibited the renaissance idea of the


universal person, one who is a master of many talents. Being a great painter he


was also a military engineer, anatomist and scientist. He...

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