rinascita

Rinascita, meaning rebirth, is a term used to denote revival or renewal in culture, learning, or society. In Italian, it is commonly used to describe both a general sense of renewal and the historical period known in history as the Renaissance.

The Rinascimento refers to a period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century characterized by renewed interest in classical antiquity, humanism, and new approaches to science and art. It originated in the Italian city-states, especially Florence, and spread to other parts of Europe.

Key features include the rediscovery of Greek and Latin texts, the revival of classical learning, innovations in painting and sculpture such as perspective, advances in anatomy and engineering, and a new spirit of inquiry that affected politics, education, and religion.

Among its noted figures are Petrarch, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Machiavelli; scientists such as Copernicus, Vesalius, and Galileo helped transform astronomy, anatomy, and physics.

In modern usage, rinascita may also refer to broader revivals—cultural, national, or spiritual—after periods of decline, as well as to religious notions of rebirth.