Why the Renaissance Took Place

People during the Renaissance began to take an interest in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. The Renaissance took place because of this interest in the old but also an interest in studying math, science, and philosophy.   

The Renaissance took place because the culture and people of the time began to develop an interest in art, architecture, and philosophy. At the same time as the interest was developing there was a collection of great artists, great scholars, and great men who all lived in Europe and who began to create an environment where beautiful things were created.

The Renaissance was both a rebirth of old learning and a birth of new exploration in many areas. As the Renaissance took place and progressed, there was an explosion of the arts, sciences, and peoples’ need to think and grow.

• The Renaissance began a rebirth of the classic lines in architecture.
• Artists during the Renaissance wanted to take a more realistic approach to their work, so mathematics became involved.
• People wanted to be stimulated intellectually as well as artistically.

• The wealth in Florence, Italy, where the Renaissance started, provided the means of the journey towards new styles and attitudes.

The three centuries after 1400 were a great time for painters, sculptors, architects, mathematicians, scientists, inventors, philosophers, writers, and musicians.

Curiosity of Learning and Roman Architecture

Another piece of the puzzle as to why the Renaissance took place could be curiosity. The ancient Greek and Roman cultures had a Golden Age between 400 BC and 400 AD. It was a time of beauty, intelligence, organization, and things were good. As people were walking around Rome, they saw the remains of a great civilization and were reminded that great things were possible. 

Two of these people were Brunelleschi and Donatello. They became fascinated by the ruins of buildings and dug around for pieces of broken pottery and crumbling statues to piece together. When they returned to Florence, they knew a great deal about ancient Roman architecture and sculptures.  Donatello became a very famous sculptor and Brunelleschi became a well-known architect.

All these elements came together to begin the Renaissance: curiosity, a need to investigate and learn, a desire to make and have beautiful things, and money. The Renaissance took place when the time was right for all these things to come together, and when it did, it was a marvelous time.  

Leonardo da Vinci: A True Renaissance Man

A part of why the renaissance took place was because of the great men living in Europe at the time. You have probably heard the term “Renaissance man” and you may or may not know what it means. The term would refer to a man who embodied all the aspects of the Renaissance: curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, and artistic talent. 

All these things and more were present in Leonardo da Vinci. He lived from 1452 to 1519. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, inventor, engineer, scientist, mathematician, anatomist, cartographer, botanist, and geologist.

• He is considered one of the greatest painters of all time and is most famous for painting The Last Supper, the Virgin of the Rocks, and the Mona Lisa.

• His observations and anatomical studies were amazing, as shown in the Vitruvian Man sketch.

• He is also considered to be one of the greatest scientists that ever lived. He experimented and investigated, using true scientific method.  He made anatomical sketches of the human body, including the organs, bone and muscle structure, and the reproductive system.  

It could be said that Leonardo was one of the most talented men that ever lived, owing to the wide range of his talents. He was a true Renaissance man.  Here are some of his words that embody the renaissance spirit:

• “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”  
• “There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.”
• “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” 

This sentiment, shared by the people, was part of the reason why the Renaissance took place.