Page 2 - E-MAGAZINE

The Renaissance

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic,
political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally
described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century,
the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy,
literature and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen,
scientists and artists in human history thrived during this era, while
global exploration opened up new lands and cultures to European

commerce. The Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between
the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization

The intellectual basis of the Renaissance was its version of humanism,
derived from the concept of Roman Humanitas and the rediscovery
of classical Greek philosophy, such as that of Protagoras, who said

that "Man is the measure of all things." This new thinking became
manifest in art, architecture, politics, science and literature. Early
examples were the development of perspective in oil painting and

the recycled knowledge of how to make concrete. Although the
invention of metal movable type sped the dissemination of ideas
from the later 15th century, the changes of the Renaissance were

not uniformly experienced across Europe: the very first traces appear
in Italy as early as the late 13th century, in particular with the writings
of Dante and the paintings of Giotto.

The Renaissance began in the 14th century in Florence, Italy. Various
theories have been proposed to account for its origins and
characteristics, focusing on a variety of factors including the social

and civic peculiarities of Florence at the time: its political structure,
the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici, and the migration

of Greek scholars and their texts to Italy following the Fall of
Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. Other major centres were