Student: Melissa Estefania Juárez Rosales Group: t06

Renaissance period
The renaissance period emerged around 1300, representing the end of
the dark middle ages. Then it started in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe and lasted
300 years. After the Black Death, Europe faced an economic depression. Merchants
could not offer their goods and services. But after the plague decreased, the demand for
their products arose. That created a new middle class, formed by bankers, traders, and
merchants. Despite being able to solve their basic needs, they wanted to own more
wealth. This new middle class had the opportunity to spend their time on education and
entertainment.
Renaissance brought a new perspective of the world in general, but it specifically
represented a rebirth for arts, politics, society, and science. An example of this is
Protestantism, mainly promoted by Martin Luther, which started around 1520. It
opposed the significant role that religion played during medieval times. Martin Luther
translated the Bible to a common language accessible to everyone, so religion would
not be a tool for the church for its convenience. That was possible thanks to
Gutenberg’s printing press in 1440 since it made books cheaper and easier to buy for
everyone.
Renaissance had a different impact on the European countries. For instance,
England gave priority to arts such as music and literature. On the other hand, Italy
mainly focused on visual arts. Italy also had some iconic figures such as Leonardo Da
Vinci and Galileo Galilei. Da Vinci’s work was not limited to art. He helped to have a
better understanding of the human body. He also foresaw flying as a possibility in the
future. Galilei invented the telescope and helped to change the conceptions about the
shape of the earth. That imprisoned him until his death because, during the Inquisition,
they found him guilty of heresy.
As is possible to see, the renaissance period marked the beginning of a new era
of knowledge. It set religion aside, being now the man its focus instead of God. Those
thoughts also lead to what is known as humanism, relying on scientific methods and
reasoning instead of faith. Thus, the main characteristic of this period is the separation
of church from knowledge, which produced more scientific inventions.