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What Was the Renaissance?
By Sharon Fabian
1
For much of history, humans have had to spend
their time surviving. Prehistoric people probably spent
nearly all of their time hunting for food and keeping
themselves safe from predators. As recently as the
1930's, when the Great Depression struck, Americans
went into survival mode, spending all of their efforts
on getting the necessities of life. Today in many parts
of the world, survival is still all that people can
think about.
2
At certain times and places, however, people have
been luckier. When the conditions were just right,
people became free to spend their time and energy on
something special. This is what happened in Europe
during the Renaissance. Many factors combined to make
Renaissance Europe a special, creative place.
3
The Medieval Era which had defined Europe for so
long was beginning to come to an end in the 1300's. The
Black Plague wiped out a large part of the population
of Europe. It also weakened people's faith in the
Christian church, which had exerted so much control
over the lives of medieval people. Advances in military
equipment, such as the invention of long-range cannons,
brought an end to medieval warfare and, so, to the
feudal system. Europe was ready for a change.
4
People began to look to education and science for
answers. Greek and Roman writings that had been
discarded years ago were dusted off and studied once
again. People began to consider new answers, new ideas,
and new ways of doing things. The ideas of individual
people became valued. This renewed belief in the
potential of individual human beings became known as
Humanism and became a hallmark of the Renaissance.
5
Creative people like writers and artists began to
produce works that were new and different from medieval
art work. Paintings were more lifelike and less formal
than medieval paintings. Writers tried to understand
human nature through their writings.
6
People of the Renaissance were able to do this,
in large part, because of the sponsorship of rich and
powerful patrons. Wealthy families of businessmen, who
had made fortunes in international trade, took an
interest in having art and learning in their cities.
They were willing to spend lots of money to sponsor
artists, scholars, and craftsmen who would produce
works that would bring education and creativity to
their city.
7
The Medici family in Florence, Italy, and the
Sforza family in Milan, Italy, were two of the most
wealthy and influential Renaissance families. The
Medici family made their city of Florence a center of
Renaissance culture. The Sforza family did the same for
Milan. They sponsored creative people in many fields,
including art, architecture, literature, and science.
8
Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Titian,
Raphael, Michelangelo, and Botticelli painted some of
the world's most famous works of art in the cities of
Renaissance Europe. Architects like Brunelleschi
designed their beautiful buildings there. Inventors
like Gutenberg came up with new creations, and
scientists like Galileo and Copernicus announced
discoveries that changed the way people understood the
world. Explorers like Christopher Columbus set sail
from Renaissance Europe.
9
These giants of the Renaissance, and many others,
left a legacy of beautiful and innovative work. They
gave the word "Renaissance" the meaning that we know it
by today " a time of extraordinary creativity and
accomplishment.
10
This special period in our world's history
continued for about 300 years.
What Was the Renaissance?
1.
A)
B)
C)
D)
2.
took
A)
B)
C)
D)
The Renaissance began in the ______.
1900's
300's
1600's
1300's
The accomplishments described in this article
place in ______.
North America
Europe
South America
Asia
3.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Michelangelo was a/an ______.
Businessman
Painter
Architect
Scientist
4.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Copernicus was a/an ______.
Scientist
Painter
Businessman
Architect
5.
A)
B)
C)
D)
The Medici family were ______.
Painters
Scientists
Architects
Businessmen
6.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Brunelleschi was a/an ______.
Businessman
Architect
Scientist
Government official
7.
The Renaissance was a time of ______.
A) Creativity
B) The plague
C) Hunger and poverty
D) Church rule
8.
A)
B)
C)
D)
The Renaissance ended in the ______.
1600's
300's
1300's
1900's