The Renaissance 2
The term renaissance literally means "rebirth," and in fact this was a rebirth, a rebirth of civilization. For hundreds of years Europe had been in a state of decay, dominated by an all-powerful Roman Catholic Church, individuality, intellectualism, and free thought had been suppressed. War, diminishing resources and the dreaded plague had taken their toll upon the populations of Europe. It was not until an economic boom and a recovery in population in Italy, that the renaissance first shed its rays of the rebirth, and the beginning of modern humanity and consciousness.The Renaissance vision of history ad three parts: It began with antiquity, followed by the Middle Ages and then the golden age of rebirth that had just begun. Old medieval scholars, who looked at the world with a Church dominated world view, looked at the pagan Greek and Roman world, and believed that they were living in the final age before the last judgment. Renaissance scholars adored the ancients, condemned the Middle Ages as ignorant and barbaric, and proclaimed their own age one of light and the rebirth of the classical heritage. Many Renaissance thinkers known as humanists expressed this view. The Renaissance idea of humanism was another break with mediev
Italian history and Italy's proximity to the ancient lands of antiquity, such as the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece, created a spirit of independence and freedom in the Italian people. Wealth and personal cultivation in Italy revived a great interest in their glorious past. Relics of this past remained throughout Italy, and one did not have to travel far to feel the presence of it. The past was drawn upon to provide inspiration for Italian culture. Ancient manuscripts were discovered and rediscovered. The Greek and Roman worlds were intertwined with each other throughout ancient history. With the discovery of one great culture led to the discovery of another. al tradition. Classical texts were studied and valued on their own terms, no longer serving to justify the Christian faith and civilization. The great interest in antiquity led to a successful search for classical manuscripts. Greek dramatists, poets, and church fathers were rediscovered for the first time. Although the study of ancient literature, history, and moral philosophy grew into imitation of the classics, it was meant to produce free and individualistic human beings, rather than pawns of the Universe and Church.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Middle Ages, Medieval Italian, Civilization Modern, Catholic Church, Ancient Greece, Greek Roman, Roman Empire, Milan Venice, Italian Cosmopolitanism, , middle ages, roman catholic church, italian renaissance, renaissance period, catholic church, italy renaissance, greek roman, roman catholic, rebirth rebirth, roman empire,
Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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