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14.1 The Renaissance and Reformation. The Renaissance. At the end of the Middle Ages, people across Europe found the urge to be creative. The Renaissance was the period of creativity, new ideas and inspiration. It lasted from about 1350 to 1500.
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The Renaissance • At the end of the Middle Ages, people across Europe found the urge to be creative. • The Renaissance was the period of creativity, new ideas and inspiration. • It lasted from about 1350 to 1500. • Renaissance is the French word for “rebirth.”
New Ideas • The Renaissance started in Italy. • During and after the Crusades, Italian cities such as Florence and Venice became rich through trade. • People started to become interested in ancient cultures and started to study the humanities (history, poetry, and grammar) of these ancient people.
This all led to a new way of thinking and learning known as humanism (emphasizes the abilities and accomplishments of human beings. The humanists believed that people were capable of great things.)
Renaissance Art • The Renaissance was a period of talented artistic achievements. • Many artists were also humanists. • Michelangelo was an Italian painter and sculptor who created very lifelike works of art. • Leonardo da Vinci achieved the Renaissance goal of excelling in many areas as he was a great painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, and engineer.
Renaissance sculptors were careful to show the tiniest details in their works. This statue by Michelangelo is of David, a king of ancient Israel.
Renaissance Literature • William Shakespeare was probably the most popular Renaissance author. • He wrote excellent poetry, but is best known for his plays. • They include more than 30 comedies, histories, and tragedies.
Renaissance Science • Europeans developed new inventions and techniques during the Renaissance. • The movable type printing press was invented by a German Johann Gutenberg in the mid-1400s. • This type printing press could print books quickly and cheaply. • This invention helped the ideas of the Renaissance spread beyond Italy.
The Reformation • The Reformation (a religious reform movement) happened in Europe in the early 1500s because some Europeans thought that the Roman Catholic Church had become corrupt.
The Protestant Reformation • The Reformation began in what is now Germany, which was a part of the Holy Roman Empire. • Martin Luther, a German monk, was one of the first people to express protests against the church. • In 1517 Luther nailed a list of complaints to a church door in the town of Wittenberg and was soon expelled from the church for his actions.
Luther’s followers formed a separate church and became the first Protestants (Christians who broke away from the Catholic Church over religious issues). • Many areas of Europe had become Protestant by 1600.
The Catholic Reformation • Many Catholic officials wanted to reform, or change, the Catholic Church as well. • Catholic officials launched a series of reforms known as the Catholic Reformation. • Church leaders began focusing more on spiritual concerns and less on political power. • They also worked to make church teachings easier to understand.
Religious Wars • Catholicism, once the main religion of Europe, was no longer dominant as many areas – especially in the north – became Protestant. • In places like France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, Catholics and Protestants fought in bloody religious wars. • After this, many people began relying less on what church leaders told them and instead looked to science for answers.