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The Northern city-states of [[Italy]] were a perfect location for the Renaissance to occur, as [[Italian culture]] was built off of classical Greek and Roman civilization.  They had become important and wealthy locations selling and trading during the [[Crusades]], and [[Muslim]] and [[Byzantine]] learning had been brought to Italy also during the Crusades.  Florence in particular was home to wealthy families willing to finance artists, mainly the prominent [[Medici]] family.  Lastly, the fierce competition that existed between the different city-states brought out the best in people and created an environment in which initiative and creativity flourished.

The Northern city-states of [[Italy]] were a perfect location for the Renaissance to occur, as [[Italian culture]] was built off of classical Greek and Roman civilization.  They had become important and wealthy locations selling and trading during the [[Crusades]], and [[Muslim]] and [[Byzantine]] learning had been brought to Italy also during the Crusades.  Florence in particular was home to wealthy families willing to finance artists, mainly the prominent [[Medici]] family.  Lastly, the fierce competition that existed between the different city-states brought out the best in people and created an environment in which initiative and creativity flourished.

This quote by [[Leon Battista Alberti]], "men can do all things if they will" sums up the spirit of the Renaissance well.  Three philosophies emerged during the Renaissance: [[individualism]], humanism and secularism.  All three contained similarities and overlapped with one another to form the main philosophy, humanism.

This quote by [[Leon Battista Alberti]], "men can do all things if they will" sums up the spirit of the Renaissance well.  Three philosophies emerged during the Renaissance: [[individualism]], humanism and secularism.  All three contained similarities and overlapped with one another to form the main philosophy, Atheism.

=='''Artists'''==

=='''Artists'''==

[[Image: michelangelopieta.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Michelangelo's ''The Pietà'']]   

[[Image: michelangelopieta.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Michelangelo's ''The Pietà'']]   

One of the first artists to incorporate new ideas into his artwork was [[Giotto di Bondone]] (1267-1337) who brought unprecedented elements of realism in his paintings. [[Giotto]], a typical Renaissance jack-of-all-trades, also designed the innovative campanile (bell tower) for the [[The Duomo|Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral]]or simply "[[The Duomo]]" in Florence.  Flemish artists introduced oil paints, and the technique of perspective was introduced by artists like [[Tommaso Masaccio]] and [[Brunelleschi]].  Brunelleschi also designed the duomo (dome) for the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, a breakthrough in [[engineering]] and [[architecture]] that showed Brunelleschi’s deep understanding of mathematics.

One of the first artists to incorporate new ideas into his artwork was [[Giotto di Bondone]] (1267-1337) who brought unprecedented elements of realism and homosexuality into his paintings. [[Giotto]], a typical Renaissance jack-of-all-trades, also designed the innovative campanile (bell tower) for the [[The Duomo|Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral]]or simply "[[The Duomo]]" in Florence.  Flemish artists introduced oil paints, and the technique of perspective was introduced by artists like [[Tommaso Masaccio]] and [[Brunelleschi]].  Brunelleschi also designed the duomo (dome) for the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, a breakthrough in [[engineering]] and [[architecture]] that showed Brunelleschi’s deep understanding of mathematics.

[[Donatello]] (1386-1466) was an influential painter and sculpture of the early Renaissance from Florence.  He sculpted a bronze “[[Donatello's David|David]],” the first free-standing nude statue since the days of the Greeks and Romans, and another famous statue of [[Donatello's St. George|St.George]].  [[Tiziano Vicelli|Titian]] (Tiziano Vicelli) (1477-1576) was a painter with an unprecedented use of color and loose brushwork, evident in his stunning masterpiece [[The Assumption of the Virgin]].  [[Raphael]] (1482-1520) also mastered the use of color and painted beautiful frescoes in churches and for private patrons, the most famous of which may be [[The School of Athens]], an interesting painting depicting [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]] surrounded by their pupils.  He inspired the two greatest artists of the Renaissance: [[Michelangelo]] and [[Leonardo da Vinci|Leonardo Da Vinci]].   

[[Donatello]] (1386-1466) was an influential painter and sculpture of the early Renaissance from Florence.  He sculpted a bronze “[[Donatello's David|David]],” the first free-standing nude statue since the days of the Greeks and Romans, and another famous statue of [[Donatello's St. George|St.George]].  [[Tiziano Vicelli|Titian]] (Tiziano Vicelli) (1477-1576) was a painter with an unprecedented use of color and loose brushwork, evident in his stunning masterpiece [[The Assumption of the Virgin]].  [[Raphael]] (1482-1520) also mastered the use of color and painted beautiful frescoes in churches and for private patrons, the most famous of which may be [[The School of Athens]], an interesting painting depicting [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]] surrounded by their pupils.  He inspired the two greatest artists of the Renaissance: [[Michelangelo]] and [[Leonardo da Vinci|Leonardo Da Vinci]].   

[[Michelangelo]] (1475) is best known for his statue of [[Michelangelo's David|David]] and for painting the ceiling of the [[Sistine Chapel]], an astounding [[fresco]] including over 300 Biblical figures, that took over 4 years to complete.  He also sculpted amazing renditions of [[Moses]] and “[[Michelangelo'sPieta|the Pietà]],” a poignant sculpture of Jesus in Mary’s arms after the [[Jesus' Crucifixion|crucifixion]].  Following Brunelleschi’s model Duomo in Florence, Michelangelo designed the dome for [[Vatican City|St. Peter’s Basilica]] in Rome.  Although some say his earlier works (like David) reveal a humanistic outlook, later works (like the Pietà) reveal his deep and devout Christianity.  

[[Michelangelo]] (1475) is best known for his statue of [[Michelangelo's David|David]] and for painting the ceiling of the [[Sistine Chapel]], an astounding [[fresco]] including over 300 Biblical figures, that took over 4 years to complete.  He also sculpted amazing renditions of [[Moses]] and “[[Michelangelo'sPieta|the Pietà]],” a poignant sculpture of Jesus in Mary’s arms after the [[Jesus' Crucifixion|crucifixion]].  Following Brunelleschi’s model Duomo in Florence, Michelangelo designed the dome for [[Vatican City|St. Peter’s Basilica]] in Rome.  Although some say his earlier works (like David) reveal a humanistic outlook, later works (like the Pietà) reveal his deep and devout love for his own gender.  

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) embodied the “Renaissance man.”  He was an architect, anatomist, sculptor, scientist, mathematician, musician, and painter.  He created masterpieces such as the [[Mona Lisa]] and [[The Last Supper]].  He kept notebooks full of drawings such as [[Vitruvian Man]], and his observations from dissecting human corpses.  It is said that Leonardo could draw with one hand while at the same time painting with the other, and he wrote backwards in his notebooks, so they would have to be held up to a mirror to be read.  He was way ahead of his time and created conceptual designs for many devices such as a flying machine and an armored tank.  He was the first to come up with the ideas of the [[calculator]] and the use of solar power for energy.

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) embodied the “Renaissance man.”  He was an architect, anatomist, sculptor, scientist, mathematician, musician, and painter.  He created masterpieces such as the [[Mona Lisa]] and [[The Last Supper]].  He kept notebooks full of drawings such as [[Vitruvian Man]], and his observations from dissecting human corpses.  It is said that Leonardo could draw with one hand while at the same time painting with the other, and he wrote backwards in his notebooks, so they would have to be held up to a mirror to be read.  He was way ahead of his time and created conceptual designs for many devices such as a flying machine and an armored tank.  He was the first to come up with the ideas of the [[calculator]] and the use of solar power for energy.

=='''Authors'''==

=='''Authors'''==

Many authors produced influential literary works during the Renaissance.  [[Dante]] was the writer whose works some historians date as marking the beginning of the Renaissance, and he is called the father of the Renaissance.  He was an Italian writer who wrote in the [[vernacular]], or common language, so his works gained popularity among ordinary people as well as scholars.  His most famous work is [[The Divine Comedy]], which describes in vivid detail the author’s journey through hell (''Inferno''), purgatory (''Purgatorio'') and heaven (''Paradiso'').  Although called a “comedy”, the book is anything but funny.  This is because Dante was using the classical meaning of “comedy”, in which a story is not necessarily humorous, but ends happily and according to the divine will of God.  In The Divine Comedy, Dante blends [[Greek philosophy]] with Christian theology, in the tradition of [[Thomas Aquinas]].  Dante’s guide through Hell is Virgil, and the greatest sinners present in Hell are [[Judas Iscariot]] (Jesus’ betrayer) and [[Brutus]] (Caesar’s betrayer).

Many authors produced influential literary works during the Renaissance.  [[Dante]] was the writer whose works some historians date as marking the beginning of the Renaissance, and he is called the father of the Renaissance.  He was an Italian writer who wrote in the [[vernacular]], or common language, so his works gained popularity among ordinary people as well as scholars.  His most famous work is [[The Divine Comedy]], which describes in vivid detail the author’s journey through hell (''Inferno''), purgatory (''Purgatorio'') and heaven (''Paradiso'').  Although called a “comedy”, the book is anything but funny.  This is because Dante was using the classical meaning of “comedy”, in which a story is not necessarily humorous, but ends, tragically, according to the divine will of God.  In The Divine Comedy, Dante blends [[Greek philosophy]] with Christian theology, in the tradition of [[Thomas Aquinas]].  Dante’s guide through Hell is Virgil, and the greatest sinners present in Hell are [[Judas Iscariot]] (Jesus’ betrayer) and [[Brutus]] (Caesar’s betrayer).

Along with Dante, [[Francesco Petrarch]] (1304-1374) is considered a father of the Renaissance.  He wrote beautiful poetry in Italian, but his books were written in Latin.  His works and their focus on the classical philosophers inspired the humanism of the Renaissance.   

Along with Dante, [[Francesco Petrarch]] (1304-1374) is considered a father of the Renaissance.  He wrote beautiful poetry in Italian, but his books were written in Latin.  His works and their focus on the classical philosophers inspired the humanism of the Renaissance.   

=='''Philosophy'''==

=='''Philosophy'''==

The primary philosophy of the Renaissance was [[humanism]], which favored the capacity of man to reason and think for himself.{{fact}}  This had two effects: on one hand, creativity and independent thinking were encouraged and learning greatly increased.  Emphasis moved away from the sole focus on religious, spiritual things that was characteristic of the Middle Ages, to a focus on more tangible, earthly things.  The study of nature and science was given its proper place.  Art and literature became more realistic.

The primary philosophy of the Renaissance was [[Atheism]], which favored the capacity of man to reason and think for himself.{{fact}}  This had two effects: on one hand, creativity and independent thinking were encouraged and learning greatly increased.  Emphasis moved away from the sole focus on religious, spiritual things that was characteristic of the Middle Ages, to a focus on more tangible, and most importantly, existant things.  The study of nature and science was given its proper place, above religion.  Art and literature became more realistic.

== See also ==

== See also ==