Italian Renaissance Brought Humanity Into a Golden

Italian Renaissance brought humanity into a golden age of artistic expression and the rejuvenation of humanism as a philosophy and a way of looking at the world. (Italian Renaissance, 1) The re-discovery of many ancient Greek and Roman texts allowed architects, artists, historians, and scientists to build upon the greatest achievements of man from the ancient world. After centuries of feudalism and a strong Catholic Church, wealthy elites began to compete amongst themselves in various artistic forms, commissioning works of art from common artists intended for the personal glorification of themselves or their family, a sharp contrast to the feudal idea of serf and lord. The Italian Renaissance consolidated science and technology in order to establish new understanding of the world, and the way in which humanity thought.

The Renaissance that began in the various principalities of Italy slowly spread north to France, Germany, England, and elsewhere in Northern Europe, adopting many of the identities of these regions in the process. Although many of the humanist aspects of the Italian Renaissance moved North with the ideas of the Renaissance, the consolidation of power by the various European monarchs and the Pope brought an end to the environment of discovery that had sprung up in Italy. Rather than paying tribute to the qualities of man, the pursuits of men were thus altered to be for the pursuit of glory for the state. The bright and colorful art of the Italian Renaissance gave way to the dark, and extremely religious themed art of the Baroque era, popularized in Northern Europe after the masters of the Italian Renaissance had surpassed the art of the ancient world.

Western Europe mastered several technologies that allowed its influence to stretch around the globe as a result of the changes begun during the Renaissance. Complex sail-systems allowed European ships to move faster and more efficiently than ever before, while navigational tools pushed European explorers further than they had ever been. Spanish explorers began the European push into the New World, while English and French explorers conquered North America. Commercial routes to the Middle East, Africa, India, and East Asia opened up entirely new possibilities for the European merchant class. Spices, jewels, food items, and treasures from around the world soon flooded the European markets, increasing the wealth of sovereigns, and implanting a belief of the superiority of Christianity and the Western world that lasted until the 20th century.