renesance

The Renaissance, sometimes spelled renascence, is the term used for a period in European history roughly from the 14th to the 17th century in which there was a revival of interest in the classical art, literature, philosophy, and scientific achievements of ancient Greece and Rome. It began in Italy, especially in cities such as Florence, and spread to other parts of Europe through trade, scholarship, and printing.

Key features of the Renaissance include a renewed interest in humanism, which emphasized the value of human potential and the study of classical texts. This intellectual movement fostered reforms in education, politics, and culture and encouraged critical thinking and empirical inquiry. Advances in the arts saw new techniques such as the use of perspective in painting and a shift toward naturalism. In science, figures like Copernicus, Vesalius, and Galileo challenged medieval authorities and promoted observational methods and inquiry.

Printing, improved navigation, and increased literacy facilitated the spread of new ideas. The period also intersected with major religious movements, including the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation, which reshaped European religion and education.

Prominent individuals associated with the Renaissance include writers Petrarch and Boccaccio, statesman Machiavelli, artists Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, and scientists Copernicus, Galileo, and Vesalius. Politically and socially, the era contributed to the rise of centralized states and universities, marking a transition from the medieval world to early modern Europe. The Renaissance gradually gave way to the scientific revolution and the modern age.