The Renaissance began in the Italian city-states in the late 15th century. Italian trade, Rennaissance painters, writers and thinkers with respective works are noted.
The Renaissance began in the Italian city-states in the 15th century. The Renaissance was a "rebirth" of Greco-Roman ideals and culture. A combination of things--revival of trade, wealthy patrons, a new urban middle class and the discovery of Greco-Roman manuscripts in the Middle East--contributed to the Renaissance.
Though the Renaissance began in the Italian city-states, it spread throughout Europe with long-lasting impact. The Renaissance revived the Greek ideals of versatility and moderation as goals to which one should aspire. Versatility is the ability to do many things well. Moderation means not to overdo any single thing. A person who successfully applied both reached Renaissance ideals for individual growth.
Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be the "true Renaissance" man. Da Vinci personifies the word versatile. A painter, sculptor, inventor, engineer and scientist, he is best known for his paintings of THE LAST SUPPER (1495) and THE MONA LISA. A man ahead of his times, he also drew plans for airplanes and submarines in his notebooks.
Two other noted artists during the Renaissance beginnings were Michelangleo and Raphael. The first is known for his painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512) and his sculpture of David. Raphael is noted for his paintings of Madonnas--paintings of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus.
While the Renaissiance began in Italy with da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael as titan figures, the Renaissance spread to other areas of Western Europe by the beginning of the 16th century. Erasmus wrote of Renaissance ideals in Holland and Belgium while Rabelais did the same in France. In Spain, Cervantes wrote Don Quixote in Spain and William Shakespeare wrote plays such as Romeo and Juliet (1595) in England.
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