UPSC IAS Mains: World History- Renaissance in Italy

Renaissance World History Notes IAS

Renaissance is an important topic for UPSC IAS Mains exam in World History. Here we are giving important details about Renaissance.

• The term Renaissance means “revival” or “rebirth”.
• It also denotes to the noteworthy modifications that took place in Europe during the transition period between the medieval and modern.
• Growth of science, art, architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, geography and religion were seen in this period.
• Spirit of humanism and individualism has developed.
• The religious makeover was signified by the Reformation.
• These changes that took place in Europe were collectively called “Renaissance”.

Renaissance in Europe UPSC

Renaissance in Italy

• The birthplace of the Renaissance is Italy
• Italy is the cradle of the Latin language and ancient civilization.
• The city-states in Italy like Venice and Florence patronized literature and art.
• The renaissance movement was ignited in the city of Florence by the publication of ‘Divine Comedy’ by the poet Dante.
• This movement then spread to elsewhere in Europe and reached its zenith in the 16th century.

The revival of Classical Literature

• The most significant contribution of the Renaissance was the resurrection and studying of ancient Latin and Greek literature.
• The pioneering scholar was Petrarch (1304 –1374). He collected and compiled the works of Aristotle and Plato.
• His student Boccaccio also promoted classical learning.
• Many Greek scholars who came from Constantinople spread the ancient Greek literature in Florence.
• Pope Nicholas V founded the Vatican Library in the 15th century.
• Erasmus edited the New Testament in the Greek language.

Role of the printing press

• The invention of the printing press by John Gutenberg had influenced Renaissance literature.
• The first book published by John Gutenberg was The Bible.
• William Caxton was the first to set up a printing press in England.
• Later many printing presses were set up throughout Europe
• These Printing Presses provided motivation to the Renaissance movement.

Renaissance Literature

• Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the father of English literature
• He wrote the Canterbury Tales in English.
• Machiavelli wrote History of Florence and The Prince.
• Cervantes authored the famous Don Quixote.
• Utopia was written by Sir Thomas Moore in Latin.
• The Elizabethan era marked the commencement of the English Renaissance.
• The period also saw the rise of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sydney and Ben Johnson etc.
• Montaigne against the authority and the dictatorship of the past and made the title “the first modern man”.
• Martin Luther translated the Bible in the German language.

Renaissance of Art

• Paintings and art in the Middle Ages were dominated by Christianity but in the Renaissance period, love of nature and the human body provided muses to this domain.
• Leonardo da Vinci is known as the “Renaissance Man”.
• His famous works of art were the ‘Last Supper’ and ‘Mona Lisa’.
• Michelangelo was both a sculptor and painter.
• Some consider his painting “Last Judgement” as one of the best in the world.

Renaissance of Sculpture

• Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) was the most important renaissance sculpture.
• He created the famous doors at the Baptistery of Florence.
• Michelangelo made the statue of David in Florence.
• Donatello moulded the statue of St. Mark at Venice and St. George in Florence.

Development of Science

• Francis Bacon is regarded as the father of modern science.
• The heliocentric theory was given by Nicolaus Copernicus.
• Sir Isaac Newton established that the movements of all celestial bodies were controlled by gravitation.
• Laws of planetary motion were stated by Johannes Kepler.
• Galileo Galilei invented the telescope brought new evidence to support the Copernican theory.
• Cordus made ether from alcohol and sulphuric acid.
• Carbon dioxide was discovered by Helmont.
• Vesalius wrote a treatise on human anatomy.

Results of the Renaissance

• The Renaissance was deemed the symbol of the commencement of the modern age.
• The spirit of inquiry has developed among people.
• The subsequent scientific inventions created significant changes in the life of humanity.
• The invention of the Mariner’s Compass led to several Geographical discoveries.

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