Renaissance: Rebirth of Europe following the Middle Ages

• Begins in Italy

Causes:

• Black Death 

  • Surplus of food

  • Less need for peasants to farm

• Crusades 

  • Restarts travel and trade

• Byzantine scholars

  • Moved back to Western Europe  (After Ottoman takeover)

  • Brought education and learning

• Rich and powerful merchants 

  • Bought art

• DeMedici family: Most powerful Italian merchant family

  • Commissioned the first dome in Europe

Return to Classical: Greek and Roman learning/education

• Humanism: Philosophy

  • Encourages the questioning of authority (The Roman Catholic Church and monarchs)

The Vitruvian Man: Leonardo da Vinci 

• Personification of Humanism

Printing Press: spreads information (Facilitates the Protestant Reformation)

Protestant Reformation

• Martin Luther’s 95 Theses