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Brief means short... so don't be faired to tackle this one first, y'all!

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Kids learn about the history of the European Renaissance. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including Renaissance art, philosophy, literature, clothing, daily life, artists, people, music, science, Italy, food, and architecture.

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Check here for a look at why the Renaissance started. (Hint: You may need to skim! There is a lot of info here.)

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We know that it started in Italy, but how was it different and how did it spread?

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History for Kids: How did the Renaissance start?

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Kids learn about the beginning of the European Renaissance in history. How did it get started?

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Who is involved?

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The Renaissance was a cultural movement which saw a flowering of education, literature, art and sciences. The Renaissance saw an inflow of new ideas and new practices and left a profound cultural legacy.

The Renaissance was enabled by scientific discoveries, most notably, the development of the printing press by J. Gutenberg, which allowed the mass production of books. The heart of the Renaissance is considered to have started in Florence during the early 14th Century. This was helped by financial and cultural support from the dominant Medici family, and later from the Vatican.

Great Artists of the Renaissance

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 - 1519) Leonardo was the supreme Renaissance painter, scientist, inventor, and polymath. Da Vinci is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds the world has ever produced. He was interested in everything from music to art and science. Da Vinci was an immense creative force at the start of the Renaissance period. Amongst his many works was the immortal painting - The Mona Lisa.

Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect. Michelangelo's artistic endeavours embodied the spirit of the Renaissance. His greatest works include the statue of David and his painting of the Sistine Chapel.

Raphael (1483 - 1520) Italian painter. One of the three members of the High Renaissance trinity. Raphael was asked by Pope Julius II to work on rooms in the Vatican at the same time as Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel. Raphael was known for the perfection and grace of his classical interpretations.

Titian (1488-1576) An Italian painter, Titian was a member of the 16th Century Venetian school. He was a prolific and versatile artist who experimented with new forms of art, such as subtle variations in colour.

Donatello (1386-1466) An Italian painter and sculptor. Donatello was a key figure in the early Florence Renaissance. Major works include David, Virgin and Child with Four Angels, St Mark and The Feast of Herod.

Political Thinkers of the Renaissance

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Machiavelli was an Italian writer, historian, diplomat and humanist. Moving in political circles, he created a new branch of political science based on humanist principles. His greatest work, The Prince is an expose of political machinations.

Thomas More (1478-1535) More was an English statesman who wrote an ideal political system, Utopia. He was considered a social philosopher and Renaissance humanist. He was executed for refusing to accept Henry VIII as head of the Church of England.

Renaissance Scientists

Nicholaus Copernicus (1473- 1543) A Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a heliocentric view of the universe. His teaching that the earth revolved around the sun placed him in opposition to the established teachings of the church. He was also an astronomer, physician, economist, diplomat, classics scholar and jurist.

Paracelsus (1493 - 1541) Swiss-German physician and leading health reformer. Paracelsus founded the discipline of toxicology and pioneered the use of chemicals in treating patients. He rebelled against the medical orthodoxy of the medieval ages, emphasising practical experience rather than ancient scriptures. Paracelsus helped transform health care and was often considered the "Luther of Medicine" for his willingness to overturn conventional orthodoxy.

Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) English philosopher, statesman and scientist. Bacon is considered the father of empiricism for his work and advocacy of scientific method and methodical scientific inquiry in investigating scientific phenomena.
Galileo (1564 - 1642) Creating one of the first modern telescopes, Galileo revolutionised our understanding of the world supporting the work of Copernicus. His work Two New Sciences laid the groundwork for the science of Kinetics and strength of materials.
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) German scientist who played a key role in the 17th Century scientific revolution. He created the laws of planetary motion, which influenced Sir Isaac Newton's theory of gravitation.

Theology and Philosophy

Martin Luther (1483-1546) Leader of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther wrote 95 theses attacking the church, such as criticising the belief sin could be mitigated by paying money to the church. Martin Luther was ex-communicated from the Catholic church and was a key figure in the new Protestant religion.

Erasmus (1466-1536) Erasmus was a Catholic theologian who has also been called the 'Prince of the Humanists'. He was willing to raise questions about the teachings of the church and not to rely on blind dogma. Erasmus was critical of the abuses of the church and advocated reform from within the church. He was an early advocate of religious tolerance and advocated a middle path between the Catholic and Protestant movements.

English Renaissance

William Shakespeare (1564- 1616) English poet and playwright. Famous works include Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice and Hamlet.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan "Famous people of the Renaissance", Oxford, www.biographyonline.net, 6th June 2014. Updated 1st March 2018.

Famous Men of the Renaissance & Reformation

Famous Men Of The Renaissance & Reformation at Amazon
Other people of the Renaissance

Christopher Marlow

Edmund Spenser

John Milton

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The Renaissance was a cultural movement which saw a flowering of education, literature, art and sciences. The Renaissance saw an inflow of new ideas and new practices and left a profound cultural legacy. The Renaissance was enabled by scientific discoveries, most notably, the development of the printing press by J.

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10 interesting facts about the Renaissance that will help you to answer various questions. If you are done early, take some time to read through each one!

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The Renaissance was a period in Europe between the Middle Ages and the modern era. It is usually considered to include the 15th and 16th centuries, though historians date it differently with some including parts of the 14th and 17th centuries while others beginning it in the middle of the 15th or ending it in the middle of the 16th. The Renaissance was marked by renewed interest in the culture of the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans. It started in Italy and spread across Europe, bringing a period of much cultural achievements in the continent. While some view the period as an important re-birth of ancient Greco-Roman values after the "dark" Middle Ages, others doubt even the factuality of the Renaissance. Know more about the art, literature, philosophy, science and events of the Renaissance through these 10 interesting facts.

#1 Renaissance was marked by renewed interest in ancient Greco-Roman culture

The word "Renaissance" is borrowed from the French language. It means "re-birth". The Renaissance period is best known for renewed interest in the culture of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, leading to an intellectual and artistic re-birth of classical antiquity. It was only in the 19th century that the word Renaissance achieved popularity to describe this cultural movement based on Greco-Roman models. French scholar Jules Michelet was the first historian to use and define the word Renaissance, in his 1855 work, Histoire de France.

#2 Renaissance flourished in Italy due to its abundant riches

Renaissance is considered to have begun in Florence in the 14th century and it soon spread to the rest of Italy. Italy, at the time, didn't exist as a political entity but was divided into small city-states. Italian city states were very wealthy. Many were industrial powerhouses which specialized in particular products like Florence in cloth and Milan in arms. Others like Venice and Genoa became extremely rich through trade with the Ottoman Empire. Artists depended entirely on patrons while the patrons needed money to promote artistic talent. Abundant riches in Italy allowed the Renaissance to flourish in the region.

#3 It was fuelled by the Fall of Constantinople and the Printing Revolution

On 29th May 1453, an invading army of the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. This led to the migration of Greek scholars and texts to Italy, which helped fuel the Renaissance. Also, around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz, Germany, introduced the mechanical movable type printing to Europe. This started the Printing Revolution which greatly enhanced circulation of ideas and information. Printing Revolution played a key role in the development of the Renaissance allowing it to spread from Italy to the rest of Europe.

#4 It was intellectually based on its own version of humanism

Humanism is a philosophy that emphasizes the value of human beings and their capacities. Renaissance was marked by its own version of humanism which was based on ancient Greco-Roman philosophies. Renaissance humanism was derived from the study of five humanities: poetry, grammar, history, moral philosophy and rhetoric. Though humanism would later challenge traditional religious beliefs, at the time it was in no way anti-Christian or anti-religious. The nineteenth century belief that Renaissance challenged the Church or changed conservative social order is now disregarded by most historians.

#5 Petrarch is considered the Father of the Renaissance

Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch, was a 14th century Italian scholar and poet. He described the preceding 900 years, the period following the decline of the Roman Empire in the 6th century, as "dark", for he saw it as a time of stagnation where humans didn't realize their intellectual and creative potential to the fullest; leading to little cultural achievements. He thus created the now rejected term Dark Ages to refer to this period. Petrarch inspired humanist philosophy which led to the intellectual flowering of the Renaissance. His works were widely studied and imitated by Renaissance scholars. He is considered by many to be the founder of Humanism and the "Father of the Renaissance".

#6 Renaissance is most famous for its artistic achievements

Although the Renaissance period saw developments in many fields, it is most famous for its artistic achievements which exercised a dominant influence on subsequent European art. Italian painter and architect from Florence, Giotto di Bondone, is considered the first of the numerous great artists who contributed to the Renaissance. Giotto is credited for reversing the decline in visual arts following the collapse of the Roman Empire. He rejected the prevalent Byzantine style and introduced the techniques of drawing accurately from life. Giotto painted some of the most well-known masterpieces of the Early Renaissance.

#7 Use of linear perspective is a defining feature of Renaissance art

Florence sculptor Donatello, and Florence architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi, took a trip to Rome in the first decade of the 15th century. Together they studied the ancient Roman ruins, an endeavor no one had attempted in such great detail till then. Donatello became the first to develop a fully Renaissance style in sculpture while Brunelleschi developed a technique for linear perspective. Linear perspective was one of the core techniques which led to realism, the distinguishing feature of Renaissance artworks. Donatello and Brunelleschi are considered among the founding fathers of the Renaissance.

#8 Some of the most famous artworks were created during the High Renaissance

The High Renaissance is a term used to denote the apex of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael form the trinity of great masters of the High Renaissance. Together they created some of the most famous works in western art including Da Vinci's half-length portrait Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's statue of David, and Raphael's fresco The School of Athens. Other outstanding works of the Renaissance include the architecture of Filippo Brunelleschi; the plays of William Shakespeare; and Oration on the Dignity of Man, a public discourse by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, referred to as the "Manifesto of the Renaissance".

#9 Renaissance was a contributing factor in starting the Protestant Reformation

At the time of the Renaissance, there was religious turmoil with accusations of corruptions against the Roman Catholic Church, the most powerful institution in Europe. Churchmen, like German priest Martin Luther and Dutch priest Erasmus, proposed reform to the Church, often based on humanist textual criticism of the New Testament. Thus, Renaissance's Humanism helped spark the Protestant Reformation, which resulted in many people moving away from the Catholic Church and creating Protestant churches. Reformation was a major point in European history which had far-reaching effects on all spheres of western life.

#10 There were major scientific advancements during the Renaissance

As the Renaissance progressed, there was a shift from Aristotelian natural philosophy to scientific method based on inductive reasoning. This led to scientists challenging previously held beliefs resulting in major advancements in science. The most important of these was the heliocentric model of the solar system proposed by Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. It led to the Copernican Revolution which lasted for more than a century till Sir Isaac Newton removed the last doubts about the validity of the heliocentric model. Apart from Copernicus, other major scientists of the Renaissance include Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler.

Did the Renaissance happen?

There is a controversy on whether the Renaissance existed. Its detractors point out that most of Europe's population during the period didn't experience any change in their lifestyles or any intellectual and cultural upheaval. Majority continued to live in the farms as the art and learning didn't filter down to affect their lives. Also, many negative social factors associated with the medieval period, like poverty, warfare and religious persecutions, worsened in this era. Most people at the time were more concerned with these than the Renaissance, a concept propagated later in the 19th century. Supporters of the Renaissance argue that few students or historians of art or literature would ever doubt the factuality of the Renaissance as the period did see a great change in these areas, which was to have a profound and long-lasting effect on future generations.

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10 Interesting Facts About The Renaissance

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The Renaissance was a period in Europe between the Middle Ages and the modern era. It is usually considered to include the 15th and 16th centuries, though historians date it differently with some including parts of the 14th and 17th centuries while others beginning it in the middle of the 15th or ending it in the middle of the 16th.

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A Crash Course on the Renaissance by John Green. (Warning: He talks really fast, but you will learn a lot!)

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The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course World History #22

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The ten most famous paintings from the Renaissance.

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Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly from the 14th century to the 17th century. It saw some of the greatest artists in the history of mankind including Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Here are 10 of the most famous paintings from this highly significant period of human artistic development.

#10 The Birth of Venus

The 'Birth of Venus' depicts the classical myth of Venus rising from the sea. In the painting the goddess of love, Venus, born out of a seashell, a fully mature woman, is arriving at the sea shore. Scholars have proposed many interpretations of the painting with the most prominent one being that Botticelli represented the Neoplatonic idea of divine love in the form of a nude Venus. Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' remains one of the most treasured artworks of the Renaissance.

#9 Assumption of the Virgin

'Assumption of the Virgin', located on the high altar in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, was the first commission of Titian in Venice and it established Titian as lead painter of the city. The painting depicts the 'assumption of the virgin', which is celebrated every year on August 15 and commemorates the rising of Mary to heaven before the decay of her body. In the painting, Virgin Mary is raised to the heavens by a swarm of cherubim while standing on a cloud. 'Assumption of the Virgin' is considered as the greatest masterpiece of Titian, one of the most versatile and popular painters in history.

#8 Sistine Madonna

'Sistine Madonna' depicts the Madonna, holding the Christ Child and flanked by Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara. Also there are two winged cherubs beneath Mary, who are perhaps the most famous cherubs depicted in any picture. Such is there popularity that there are many legends regarding how Raphael painted them. 'Sistine Madonna' is considered one of the finest paintings by many notable critics and it is especially popular in Germany where it "has been hailed as 'supreme among the world's paintings' and accorded the epithet 'divine'".

#7 Primavera

'Primavera' means 'the season of spring' and the painting is sometimes also referred to as 'Allegory of Spring'. There have been various interpretations of the painting but it is generally agreed that at some level it is "an elaborate mythological allegory of the burgeoning fertility of the world." 'Primavera' is "one of the most written about and most controversial paintings in the world." Botticelli's fascinating use of color and multiple interpretations of the work have made the painting hugely popular and it often cited as a prime example of the grace of Early Renaissance art.

#6 The Last Judgement

The Last Judgement is one of the most influential works in fresco in the history of Western art. Painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, it depicts the Second Coming of Christ (a future return of Jesus to earth) and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity. Jesus is shown in the center of the painting and is surrounded by prominent saints; while the Resurrection of the Dead and the Descent of the Damned into Hell is shown in the zone below.

#5 The Kiss of Judas

Many critics consider Giotto as the first genius of modern painting and some claim that no artist has surpassed him with only a handful coming close. His fresco cycle on the Scrovegni Chapel is one of the most important masterpieces of Western art and 'The Kiss of Judas' is the most famous painting of the cycle. The painting captures the moment of betrayal when Judas identifies Jesus to the soldiers by kissing him. Giotto masterfully captures the drama and confusion of the arrest of Christ as well as the contrast of expressions of Jesus and Judas as they look face to face.

#4 The School of Athens

Raphael's masterpiece, 'The School of Athens', is one of the four main frescoes on the walls of the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The four paintings epitomize Philosophy, Poetry, Theology, and Law; with 'The School of Athens' representing Philosophy. Critics have suggested that every great Greek philosopher can be found among the 21 painted in the painting. However, apart from Plato and Aristotle, who are placed in the center of the scene, no one's identity can be verified with certainty. 'The School of Athens' is considered "the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the High Renaissance."

#3 The Last Supper

In 'The Last Supper', Leonardo masterfully depicts the bewilderment and confusion that occurs among the disciples of Jesus when he announces that one of them would betray him. Leonardo's detailed knowledge of anatomy, light, botany and geology; his interest in how humans register emotion in expression and gesture; and his subtle gradation of tone; all come together to make this painting among the most revered and famous works of all time.

#2 The Creation of Adam

The work done by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is a cornerstone of Renaissance art and 'The Creation of Adam' is the most famous fresco panel of the masterpiece. The popularity of the painting is second only to 'Mona Lisa'; and along with 'The Last Supper', it is the most replicated religious painting of all time. The image of the near-touching hands of God and Adam has become iconic of humanity and has been imitated and parodied innumerable times.

#1 Mona Lisa

The 'Mona Lisa' has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about and the most parodied work of art in the world". Its fame rests, in particular, on the elusive smile on the woman's face which is why it is also known as "la Gioconda", or the laughing one. For Da Vinci, the 'Mona Lisa' was forever a work in progress, as it was his attempt at perfection. The painting was never delivered to its commissioner; Da Vinci kept it with him till the end of his life. Guinness World Records lists the 'Mona Lisa' as having the highest insurance value for a painting in history. It was assessed at US$100 million on December 14, 1962, which after adjusting inflation, would be around US$759 million today.

Anirudh is a novelist, writer, seo expert and educationist. His debut self help book "Happiness Decoded" was released in early 2014. His maiden novella "Teicos" is a thoughtful depiction of the development of society and is awaiting publication. With Learnodo he hopes to break the barriers of the education system and reach out to a limitless audience in a simple and cost effective way.

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10 Most Famous Paintings of The Renaissance

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Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly from the 14th century to the 17th century. It saw some of the greatest artists in the history of mankind including Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Here are 10 of the most famous paintings from this highly significant period of human artistic development.

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Little Nicky: The Renaissance Sing Along 

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Little Nicky: The Renaissance Sing Along 