Renaissance Overview and Contributions

Renaissance Overview

• Renaissance means "rebirth" or "reborn"
• Began in Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries
• Marked a transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Ages.
• Focused on bringing back classical Greek and Roman history and culture.

Humanism

• Humanism was a group dedicated to studying classical civilizations (Greece and Rome).
• Members are called "Humanistas".

Renaissance Contributions (Literature)

• Male Authors:
  • Francesco Petrarch wrote a songbook ("Sonata of love for Laura")
  • Giovanni Boccaccio wrote "The Decameron" (100 entertaining stories)
  • William Shakespeare wrote "Romeo and Juliet"
  • Desiderius Erasmus wrote "In Praise of Folly" (criticizing clergy and people's actions)
  • Niccolò Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" with key quotes including "The ends justify the means" and "Power creates right."
  • Miguel de Cervantes wrote "Don Quixote de la Mancha"
• Female Authors:
  • Isotta Nogarola wrote "Dialogue on Adam and Eve" (1451) and "Oration on the Life of St. Jerome" (1453).
  • Veronica Franco wrote "Terze Rime" (1575).
  • Vittoria Colonna wrote "Rime Spirituali" (1582).
  • Laura Cereta advocated for women's right to study humanism.

Renaissance Contributions (Art)

• Male Artists:
  • Michelangelo Buonarroti painted the Sistine Chapel Ceiling and sculpted "La Pietà".
  • Leonardo da Vinci created "The Last Supper".
  • Raphael Santi painted the Sistine Madonna.
• Female Artists:
  • Sofonisba Anguissola produced a self-portrait (1554).
  • Artemisia Gentileschi painted "Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes" (1625).

Renaissance Contributions (Science)

• Scientists:
  • Nicolas Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory (Earth revolves around the Sun).
  • Galileo Galilei invented the telescope.
  • Isaac Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation (explaining planetary orbits).

Early Colonialism

• Navigation: The caravel, a small, fast boat, was used by Portuguese and Spanish explorers. Its development began in the 1400s and finalized by the 1600s.
• Exploration Motivation:
  • God: Spreading Christianity.
  • Gold: Gaining wealth & resources (like spices).
  • Glory: Increasing prestige and fame.

Explore the Renaissance period, a time of rebirth that shifted Europe from the Middle Ages to the Modern Ages. This quiz covers key figures, movements like Humanism, and significant literary contributions from both male and female authors. Test your knowledge on this transformative era in history.