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William Shakespeare was a major figure in Renaissance poetry and plays. Between 1590 and 1613, he wrote 37 plays that are still performed today. His works explore Renaissance ideals such as the complexity of the individual and the importance of the classics. He lived in Stratford-Upon-Avon from 1564-1616.

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Sir Thomas More was a humanist who supported social reform. In his book, Utopia, he describes an ideal society in which men and women live in peace and harmony. He lived from 1478-1535 in London.

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Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch priest and humanist who wrote texts on many subjects and used his knowledge of classical languages to produce a new Greek edition of the Christian Bible. He lived in the Netherlands and Switzerland from 1466 - 1536.

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Albrecht Durer was a German painter influenced by the Italian Renaissance. He applied painting techniques to engraving (etching a design on a metal plate with acid). He lived 1471-1528 in Nuremberg, Germany.

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Johan Gutenberg invented the printing press and printed the first complete edition of the Christian bible with moveable type. The printing revolution brought enormous change by exposing educated Europeans to new ideas and new places. He lived in Germany from 1398 - 1468.

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Petrach was a Florentine Renaissance humanist, poet and scholar. He assembled a library of Greek and Roman manuscripts in monasteries and churches. His efforts enabled the works of great writers like Homer, Cicero and Virgil to again become known as western Europeans. He lived in Italy and France from 1304-1374.

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Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a guide for rulers on how to gain and maintain power. In his book, The Prince, he urged rulers to use whatever means necessary to achieve their goals, even if they were ruthless. He lived and worked in Florence from 1469-1527.

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Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) was an Italian author who wrote The Book of the Courtier. It described manners, skills, learning and virtues that a member of the court should have. He was born in Italy where he did much of his work but died in Spain.

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Rafael (1483-1520) was a Renaissance painter in Rome who blended Christian and classical styles. He is best known for his tender portrayals of Madonna (Jesus’ mother).

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Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a sculptor, engineer, painter, architect and poet who lived in Florence. He sculpted David and the Pieta. He also painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519) was a creative genius and master artist in Florence. He was a painter, inventor and mathematician. He painted some of the most famous paintings in the world like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. He also made sketches of flying machines and undersea boats centuries before airplanes and submarines were invented.

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Florence is a city in the Tuscany region of northern Italy that was the center of the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance began in the 1300s and peaked around 1500. At the center of the Renaissance was a movement called Humanism. Humanists believed that education should stimulate an individual’s creative power.