The Renaissance

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The great cultural changes of the 15 th and 16 th centuries were called the Renaissance.

Scholars became curious about mankind and no longer took all their ideas from the Church’s teachings.

Artists created an extraordinary range of masterpieces in painting, sculpture and architecture.

Humanism was the great intellectual and cultural movement : 1- It was based on the study of the human being.

Before, scholars had only been interested in the actions of God. 2- It renewed the ideals of classical antiquity through the study of Greek and Latin texts. Some texts were rediscovered after the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

3- Humanists had a great spirit of enquiry. Their aim was to understand the world by personal reflection and scientific experiments.

Humanism became a great international movement.

Gutemberg’s invention of the printing press was crucial. In Medieval times manuscripts had been copied slowly by hand. Bu books were now printed and reached many more people.

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HUMANISM IN ITALY Humanism first developed in Italy than in the rest of Europe.

In Florence, Ficino founded the Florentine Academy, which was a discussion group imitating the philosopher Plato’s Academy in Ancient Athens.

In Rome, many Popes were receptive t humanist ideals. Pius II was a Pope and a writer who rtote its autobiography.

In Naples king Alfonso V of Aragón welcomed scholars to his court.

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THE SPREAD OF HUMANISM IN EUROPE Humanist thought spread from Italy to the rest of Europe.

In Flanders, Erasmus of Rotterdam became one of the leading figures and his work was read throughout Europe. Erasmus combined encyclopedic knowledge with a strong critical spirit.

In England, Thomas More, who reflected on the best way to govern society in his book Utopia.

In Spain, there was an important group of humanist scholars at the University of Alcalรก de Henares. Antonio Nebrija wrote the first grammar of the Castilian language. Luis Vives was an important philosopher.