Essay: The Renaissance

The Renaissance was a rebirth in that it showed a resurfaced interest in Classical art and culture. This is evident in that the Renaissance Italian art, thought and architecture greatly reflected the styles “of the Greeks and Romans” (Spielvogel 333). The Greco-Roman based works of the Renaissance time period are a sign that the artists and philosophers had a resurfaced interested in the work of their ancestors. However, it is also a rebirth in that it introduced many concepts foreign to medieval European society, such as humanism, individualism and secularism. Additionally, inventions such as the printing press were introduced during this golden age for innovation.
After the economic eruptions of the previous century, European economy recovered in the form of increased trade and maritime growth. The Hanseatic Trade is an example of one of the Renaissance’s economic recovery efforts, and it had a “monopoly on northern European trade in timber, fish, grain,” and various other goods for almost two hundred years (Spielvogel 335). The Hanseatic League represented one of the many economic successes after the disasters of the previous century. Italians and especially the Venitans also experienced a notable flourish in trade, and by 1500, they managed to maintain a wealthy commercial empire which helped patron development in art and architecture.
The social changes of the Renaissance were definitely a rejection of medieval trends and beliefs.  The biggest example of this was the fact that many European Christians experienced a decrease in faith for the Catholic church as there was a “decline in the moral leadership of the popes” after the Great Schism. People instead turned to individualism, secularism and humanism which rivaled medieval ideas. These movements encouraged people to question the church and religion. Another major social change was the introduction and support for banking, which was condemned by medieval church.
A distinct feature of Italian government during the Renaissance was the government’s practice of immorality in order to achieve their powerful status. For example, Italian states often sent spies to “ferret out useful information” on the other states’ plans and politics (Spielvogel 343). This practice of immorality for power was a growing trend in Renaissance Europe, and was soon found in northern European politics. Machiavelli’s work reflects this by stating that humans are naturally greedy, and that one doesn’t necessarily need to abide by morals to succeed.
Warfare in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance share similar causes and motive in that they were usually about control and religion. While the Middle Ages saw the Hundred Years’ War and Crusades, the Renaissance saw the Battle of Kosovo and the Spanish Reconquista, in which the Catholic government “expell[ed] all professed Muslims” from Spain (Spielvogel 360). The Crusades can be compared to the Reconquista because they were both wars that took place due to religious conflict among states. The main difference among the two time periods’ styles of warfare was the use of gunpowder technology. The Renaissance armies took advantage of these mighty weapons to dominate warfare, while the armies of the Middle Ages consisted of only mounted knights, which was a limitation in the power of the armies.
The Italian Renaissance humanists believed that Greek and Roman thought and culture has greater significance and value than medieval society, and that humans hold greater significance than supernatural and divine beings. The humanists could be identified by their belief in the revitalization of liberal arts, such as their fascination with the “rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy” and ethics of the “ancient Greek[s] and Roman[s]” (Spielvogel 345). The Renaissance humanists took the roles of teachers of humanities, secretaries in chancelleries and other secular occupations. Their goal was to preserve Greek and Roman antiquity, and in a sense, they achieved this, as many modern diplomatic policies are based on Greek thought.
In Italy, the Renaissance was a rebirth of classical or Greco-Roman art. The architecture and art of the Italian Renaissance reflects this, such as Botticelli’s Primavera, which was inspired by “interest in Greek and Roman mythology” (Spielvogel 352). In contrast, the Northern Renaissance was more centralized on religious values, and was a gradual change from medieval culture. While Italy began to study human history and preserve antiquity, the other countries continued the medieval practice of creating art in the name of God. Humanism was more emphasized in Italy, but the other countries’ respective Renaissance’s didn’t focus as much on humanist ideas. Individualism and secularism were also fairly unique to Italy.
The most distinctive characteristics of Renaissance artists were their interests in classical art and their humanist beliefs. The artists of the Renaissance began to focus more on the human elements of their works, such as in Raphael’s School of Athens, which is a painting of an “imaginary gathering of ancient [human] philosophers” (Spielvogel 354). This reflects the growing humanist, secularist and individualist thought of Renaissance Italians. After the decline of the papacy and the corruption of the church, the role of the church was not as prominent. The artists’ increased attention to human details reflects the growing belief that humans possessed powerful abilities and that anyone could shape their personality by the way they choose to live their life.
Yes, it is accurate to refer to Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, Louis XI of France, John I of Portugal and Henry VII of England as new monarchs. This is because these monarchs were the people who united their respective countries and create strong governments, such as Louis XI, who helped develop “a strong French monarchy” in preparation for future expansion (Spielvogel 359). While they may be part of the same monarchies, the unification of their countries set the path for a new expansion of their lands to begin a new beginning for the countries. The monarchs began to create global colonies and become powerful empires, something which had never been seen before. Thus, the term “new monarchs” is justifiable.
The two main characteristics of the Renaissance papacy were the corruption and nepotism practiced by the pope. Nepotism was practiced by several popes during the Renaissance, such as Alexander VI, who not only broke his celibacy by having children, but also allowed his son Cesare to conquer and rule a part of “the territories of the Papal States” (Spielvogel 363). This not only showcases the corruption of the papacy, but also provides as reasoning for why many pious Christians were offended. The papal office was a spiritual position, but was abused for power during the Renaissance. This damaged the faith of believers in the church and further added to the corruption that the 14th century began.
Individualism, secularism and humanism were the large movements which reduced the primacy of Christianity in Renaissance Italy. All three movements drove attention away from the church and provided a “high regard for human dignity and worth”, allowing people to often place themselves at a higher priority than the church (Spielvogel 333). Secularists emphasized the belief that church should be separated from state. This led to a decline in power for the church, as it previously held a high position in medieval society. Individualism promoted independence and self-worth, leading people to rely less on the church, and believe in their own abilities to achieve success.