The Renaissance is the time period that finds it’s self between the Medieval and Reformation eras. To understand the Renaissance a bit better let us look at what it spawned from and what spawned from it.
Medieval, also called the dark ages and the middle ages had nothing to do with evil or darkness. These are common misconceptions grown from these names. Thus these names are falling out of favor with historians. With more and more anthropological studies the Middle Ages are rapidly changing the opinion of those who study it. German historians are calling this period in time “Völkerwanderung” to show the wandering nature of humans of the time. It is now believed to be more of a time of migration and learning than a time of being stagnant.
After the renaissance came and went the Protestant Reformation developed. The Protestant Reformation encompassed the trends of the 17th century toward church reformation. It’s roots forming in the court of King Henry the XIII and continued by his daughter Queen Elizabeth I, the reformation brought us more stand out figures. Some of these figures are Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Jan Hus. The reformation also brought us new churches such as the Lutheran, Calvinist, and Presbyterian denominations.
These were the forefathers and the children of the Renaissance. But what was the Renaissance?
The Merriam - Webster Dictionary defines Renaissance as: “the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century, and marked by a humanistic revival of classical influence expressed in a flowering of the arts and literature and by the beginnings of modern science”
Most scholars agree that the Renaissance begin in Italy but there were many places that had great minds to share in this time period. Italy brought us the great Renaissance minds of Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. If one comes to the renaissance through “Ren Fairs” they may be more familiar with the illumination of the English court of King Henry the XIII or of Queen Elizabeth I. The Germans were not to be passed by either. They brought us wonderful figures such as Konrad Celtes and Albrecht Dürer. Perhaps your passion is France who brought us François Rabelais. If Hungry is to your taste Janos Hunyadi might be of interest. No matter your geographic taste or subject desire the renaissance has more than enough to keep you learning for centuries to come.
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