1.The Italian Renaissance followed on the heels of the Middle Ages, and was spawned by the birth of the philosophy of humanism, which emphasized the importance of individual achievement in a wide range of fields. The early humanists, such as writer Francesco Petrarch, studied the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans for inspiration and ideology, mixing the philosophies of Plato and other ancient thinkers with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Machiavelli lived during the period of the French Invasions, a situation which obviously influenced his deep-rooted political beliefs. .....

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

If one were to gaze upon the statue of "David" by Michelangelo (1475-1564), they would notice the high esteem in which the human body was portrayed. ... In 1368 Petrarch wrote De sui ipsius et multorum ignorantia (On his own ignorance and that of many others), which became a significant example of the contrast of humanism of the Renaissance to scholasticism of the Middle Ages. ... Petrarch urged others to awaken from the darkness "of the Middle Ages and move forward out of "the slumber of forgetfulness into the pure radiance of the past" (Humanism 1). ... At first, the humanists fervently defe...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The period is more or less considered as playing out what had been set up in the later Middle Ages. ... The Renaissance is defined as the revival or rebirth of the arts; the period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages; conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in classical learning and values. ... It was during this time that Europe was busy pulling herself out of the economic stagnation of the Middle Ages. ... Of all the practices of Renaissance Europe, nothing is used to distinguish the Renaissance from the Middle Ages more than humani...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Popes of the Roman Catholic Church ruled the middle section. ... The tall church bell tower is still an important landmark which can be seen for miles. ... The slopes above Vinci lead to Mount Albano, a high peak where Leonardo later hiked and made observations about the atmosphere. ... By the age of 21 Leonardo was a skilled painter, Verrocchio permitted him to help with an important painting of the Baptism of Christ. ... When the French governor of Milan died in 1511, political changes forced Leonardo to leave the city once again. ...

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The Italians, through organization and cleverness exploited their advantages, and by the high Middle Ages strong, wealthy and independent city-states, unlike the manors of Europe, had evolved. ... This was one of the decisive steps away from the church and towards a humanistic approach to life. ... Petrarch characterized the earliest glimmerings of humanism in a mindset dominated by the Christian church. He is seen as the writer who most clearly had one foot in the Middle Ages and the other in the Renaissance. ... The family was forced to leave Florence for Avignon when the Guelph party t...

• Word Count: 2254
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School