The Renaissance was a time of "rebirth" and changing thought. It was a time when the thinking and philosophy of the Middle Ages began to take a drastic turn. Scientists were uncovering new information about mathematics, physics and astronomy. The human form was being studied with great precision. A thirst for knowledge began to undermine the position of the Church, as the underlying concept of the Renaissance was "humanism"- a recognition of basic value of human beings as individuals, not simply as souls serving their God and Church. Some great thinkers of the time were even persecuted for accepting the explanations of science when they conflicted with the teachings of the Church. The power of information and knowledge was so strong that these new ideas of the Renaissance quickly spread throughout Italy and Europe.

This "rebirth" of thinking was first born in Italy for many reasons. A major reason was the accumulation of wealth in and around the trading centers of Italy. Different influential families struggled to increase their power while the popes and emperors struggled over ultimate power. An effect of this great wealth and influence was the indulgence of this time. The we

A very well known Italian artist of this time was Michelangelo Caravaggio. He was a baroque painter who was appreciated for his naturalistic painting in the early 17th century. His use of models from the lower classes of society appealed to the people of the Renaissance for realism, simplicity and piety in art. Equally as innovative for his time was his use of light- and- dark effects, called chiaroscuro, in his works.

Durer's works were very accurate and perceptive, and also influenced by Italian art. He traveled to Venice and learned from the great Bellini who, by the time Durer met him, was an old man. His Madonna and Child was once thought to be by Bellini. To Durer, Bellini was example of a painter who could make the ideal become actual. Durer was exceptionally learned, and the only Northern artist who fully absorbed the sophisticated Italian way of representing scientific theory and art.

world has been a constantly changing one, making us more open to new ideas and concepts.

In 1609, Galileo learned about the development of the telescope in Holland. With this information, he developed the best telescope of his time. He used it to study the planets and the stars, making many discoveries, such as the rings around Saturn and Jupiter. Galileo was also one of the first to believe that the earth revolved around the sun, not the sun around the earth, as was the common belief in medieval Europe. Galileo's views conflicted with the position held by the Catholic Church, and so he was ordered to stop spreading his theories of the universe. When Urban VIII became pope, He gave Galileo permission to put his theories in print, if he would support it with evidence that the earth was in the center of the uni

Some common words found in the essay are:
Urban VIII, St Peter, Durer Renaissance, Durer Bellini, Middle Ages, Italy Europe, Pisa Soon, Michelangelo Caravaggio, God Church, St Matthew, bellini durer, appealed people, st matthew, middle ages, urban viii,
Approximate Word count = 1170
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)