The years 1300 to 1600 saw an explosion of creativity in Europe. Historians call this period the RENAISSANCE (REHN-ih-SAHNS). The term means rebirth-- in this case a rebirth of art and learning. The Renaissance began in northern Italy around 1300 and later spread north. One reason northern Europe lagged behind is that France and England were locked in the Hundred Years' War. Italy also had three advantages that fostered the Renaissance: thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of Greece and Rome.
Describe the artistic, literary, and intellectual ideas of the Renaissance:
- “Rebirth” of classical knowledge; “birth” of the modern world
- Spread of the Renaissance from the Italian city-states to northern Europe
Contributions of the Renaissance
- Accomplishments in the visual arts: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci
- Accomplishments in literature (sonnets, plays, essays): Shakespeare
- Accomplishments in intellectual ideas (humanism): Erasmus
