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With growing populations, it became more
difficult for the feudal lords to control the people, making
everyone independent and alone. But this was a good thing - scholars got more time
to research into the bygone years. They brought out old manuscripts and even went to other
places like Rome and Greece to study the origins of those civilizations. This research
left them with the desire to change their way of life. Although the Middle Ages had their
set of activities, and some scholars even say that the Renaissance had its roots in the
preceding era, the two are quite dissimilar.
Naturally, this interest did not spread immediately across the masses but it slowly began
from 1350 onwards. One of the pioneers in this quest for more meaning to life, was
Francesco Petrach. From a young age, he displayed signs of being very intelligent and as
all geniuses, he too became dissatisfied and frustrated with the normal school studies and
teachers. He wanted more, and set out to discover the world. During his travels, he saw and
learned about many places and people, like the Greeks and Romans. He thrived on reading
old manuscripts and appreciated nature and aesthetic beauty. He is said to be the first humanist
- someone for whom the study of mankind is the first step to understanding philosophy. Humanism
was the basic concept behind this renaissance - the emphasis on the individual's worth. The
renaissance humanists firmly believed that improvement in the society could take place
through classical education. This education focused on the teachings from
ancient texts and stressed on a range of disciplines, including poetry, painting,
history, rhetoric (rules for writing influential prose or
speeches), and moral philosophy.
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The change in thinking first
began in Florence, Italy. The rich merchants who governed the town felt the need to
beautify the place to prove to others that even though Florence was run by average
classes, it could still be charming and glorious. With the help of the Medicis, a rich
banking family, and cooperation of the localities, Florence transformed into a sphere of
the arts and sciences. Seeing this, other towns like Ferrara, Milan, Pavia and Venice
began to show that they were no less. Cathedrals, huge libraries and palaces were built
and in Rome, the pope engaged the services of some of the best architects, painters and
sculptors to make a magnificent city out of the old Rome. These artists became extremely
popular during the Renaissance time and rightly so, since their skills deserved
honor and
appreciation.
The changes brought about during this
era - 14th, 15th, 16th - were first on an intellectual level; people's
interest in the physical world got transformed into focus on sensory experience.
Although people did not lose faith in abstract knowledge like religion
etc., they began to pay more attention on the individual - their
actions, expressing emotions and so on. |
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This change in the
thinking was then translated into the physical world -
literature, sculptures, paintings, education, rural living, the economy,
music, science and practically every aspect of life. Areas which were thought to be only for the
elite became more public, people were willing to experiment new ideas and think in a
broader sense. Essentially, the renaissance did not just mean appreciating antiquity, but
its crucial contribution to modern life was the flexibility and openness given to
every facet of life. |
A
painting by Michelangelo, a renowned artist of the Renaissance Period. |
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From Italy, the renaissance
slowly spread to France, Germany, England, and other parts of Europe.
King of France, Francis I was a fond admirer of Italian things. He
enjoyed buying Italian works of art and even invited Italian artists to work for him in
France. Some of the leading Italian painters and sculptors like Leonardo da Vinci
and Benvenuto Cellini were requested to design his palaces and
organize royal
entertainments. So this was the start of the renaissance expansion, since traders from
Italy would bring their paintings, books, silk and wool, sculptures across the Alps to the
rest of Europe and gradually there was an influx of people coming to and from Italy,
sharing new ideas and cultures with each other.
The Renaissance period was a revolutionary
time in many ways because old ideologies were being questioned, new ideas were being
experimented on, but finally, it was for the best. |
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The transformation brought about
wonderful changes in the development of science and technology, the understanding of
philosophy and the arts, freedom of thought etc. - the things that we now follow as an
integral part of life. But the biggest legacy left behind are the world
monuments of exquisite beauty that speak volumes about this era. |
The Mona
Lisa, a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, from the renaissance period, is arguably the most
famous painting in the world. |
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