The origin of the renaissance that is traced down to Italy was a result of its unique society

and recent history, at a time when rest of the Europe was still inert, Italy had already begun
to organize the various elements of the modern spirit and to set the fashion whereby the other
great nations should learn and live. Italy during the Renaissance was a period marked by
distinctive social, economic and political conditions that interacted with each other to
distinguish this period in history from the preceding and the following. Renaissance as a self
conscious movement did not originate overnight and there were various factors at play, along
with the economic and social roots which also led to the emergence and further nurturing of
the movement, and can be traced to the various developments that took place around that time.
The beginning of the Renaissance can be traced to the time of the ‘Black Death’ or even earlier
in the fourteenth century, and its end to the early-sixteenth century. Though a period of great
turmoil yet for some parts of Europe, it was an extremely fertile period for culture. There was
a relative significance of towns and cities due to mass exodus from the countryside due to the
various reasons such as widespread and rampant plague that got spread, political turmoil,
ravages from incessant warfare and natural calamities.
A large number of smaller towns came up and also Italy which was divided into a number of
city states and different territories, there also importance of towns like Florence, Venice and
many others grew. The population growth in the towns, increasing level of production and all
these phenomenal commercial and financial developments paved way for certain pre-capitalist
features to emerge.
The Italian merchants particularly in Florence possessed a large reservoir of liquid capital for
investment which was utilized in real estate, trading and in cloth manufacturing, arms and
industrial goods, mineral resources etc. As Trade and economy got an impetus, the Economic
Growth laid the material basis for the Renaissance.
Scholars like Alfred Von Martin, while emphasizing the themes of individualism and the
origins of modernity, also stressed on the economic basis of the Renaissance by calling it a
‘Bourgeois Revolution’, where the nobles and clerics were replaced by the rise of the
capitalists as the leaders of the society. There emerged out be what is called the ‘Mercantile
Mentality’ which we can say originated out of the centuries of international trading, banking
and industry. Thinkers like Engels suggested that the Economic ‘base’ shaped the cultural
‘superstructure’. Engels also believed that this movement constituted a great turning point in
the history of the West.
Renaissance as a movement also sprang up from an urban environment. Also, Northern and
central Italy had an exceptionally large number of towns where urban life was more dynamic
and sophisticated than any part of Europe. The landed class was increasingly drawn to the town
life, they made their town house the basis of their ‘Social Life’. At the top of the social strata
were particularly the richest men in Italy, who were also known as the ‘Grandi’ they resided in
the cities and invested in business. They were well educated, widely travelled, monopolized
political power and are often attributed as the ones who paved way for the Renaissance. Urban
environment was also an important pre-requisite because Renaissance in a rural backdrop may
have not achieved the magnitude that it did, Also a very active civic life resulted in the creation
of a more worldly view of life.
The presence of wealth in the Italian towns was also one of the important reasons, large scale
commercial activities by the 13th century helped the Italian economy emerge as the most
prosperous one in the whole of Europe.
This ‘New Wealth’ was often used on the display items and large scale construction works,
and thus this created a demand for quality architects and painters. Social circumstances were
favorable to artists and craftsmen, as money and energy poured into arts. There was a
competition of artists and competition for artists. Services of architects, sculptors, painters,
musicians writers were desired.
The competition to hire the most talented people led to the elevated standards of perfection.
The Architects, painters, artists they were in great demand and Patrons wished to be associated
with them or the works that they have commissioned. A view suggests that the presence of a
large number of princes ruling so many Italian cities provided greater possibility of Patronage
and Employment. Though even the lesser aristocratic families made similar contributions.
Hence, Patronage also played an important role in the origin and maturing of Renaissance.
From, the middle of the fourteenth century there emerged a conscious reaction against the form
of and content of chivalrous poetry as well as scholastic learning of the middle ages.
Renaissance humanism was a European intellectual movement that was a crucial component
of the Renaissance, beginning in Florence in the last years of the 14th century. The Renaissance
Humanism movement started first in Florence. The feudal and the agrarian region was the
greatest barrier to the development of an intellectual movement. The Italian state had a large
urban population consisting of educated laymen, lawyers and civil servants. It was this class of
people which promoted the idea of humanism. The Italian humanists used their knowledge of
classical literature to raise the standard of eloquence. There were numerous centers of humanist
learning all over Italy in 14th century, such as Florence, Padua, Vicenza and Verona.
The humanist movement developed from the rediscovery by European scholars of classical
Latin and later Greek texts. Initially, a humanist was simply a scholar or teacher of Latin
literature. By the mid-15th century humanism described a curriculum — the studia
humanitatis — comprising grammar, rhetoric, moral philosophy, poetry and history as studied
via classical authors. Humanists mostly believed that, although God created the universe, it
was humans that had developed and industrialized it. Beauty, a popular topic, was held to
represent a deep inner virtue and value, and an essential element in the path towards God.
The rise of Humanism during the Renaissance of the 14th-15th century Europe aimed at ending
scholasticism, scientism and the dominance of logic in thought; it sought to bring about a
reversion to rhetoric and ethics in the public domains and in intellectual discourse. Major
influences of humanism were seen in most human endeavors- literature, art, history,
poetry, painting, politics, architecture, science, technology etc.
Humanism, at its core, criticized the medieval conception that antiquity was
unenlightened, coarse, condemned. Humanism propounded the dignity of man; it highlighted
man’s uniqueness. Through man’s writing and speech, his intellect and potential, Humanism
sought a shift from the mystery of divinity to the potentiality of humanity. It espoused freedom
of will, or free-will in all of man’s facets- pleasure, virtue, health, beauty and sought to achieve
a climax of man’s potential through a full enjoyment of his many facets.
Humanism was influenced by the study of the classics. Its proponents, among others included
Erasmus, Petrarch, Van Hutter, Thomas More, Colet, de Groot, Pascal, da Vinci, Alberti,
Machiavelli, Ximenes, Botticelli etc. Humanists proposed solutions for peace of mind and
tranquillity in an otherwise increasingly conflictual time of religious, spiritual and political
upheaval. There was a growing sense of time and history (Petrarch’s Letters of the Ancient
Dead), an awareness of one’s position in time. There was a rampant, reinvigorated interest in
archaeology; religious symbols were being understood and appreciated as they appeared.
Humanists thinkers, unlike the medievalists, were not men of the church; they were lay folk,
trying to understand their own time and place in history, and their own potentialities that nature
had endowed them with. These men were teachers and civil servants, authors and thinkers.
Humanists placed a heavy emphasis on the study of primary sources rather than the study of
the interpretations of others. This is reflected in their motto of ad fontes, or "to the sources"
which informed the search for texts in the monastery libraries of Europe. Other than the
renewed interest in classical Latin and Greek, the other important phenomena which constituted
with Humanism was that the visual arts attained the pinnacle of glory in this period.

Petrarch, sometimes called the father of Renaissance humanism in Italy, was an outstanding
scholar and an original writer. He was a great admirer of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). Petrarch
prompted a secular word and remained active in public life as a politician and diplomat. Known
for his vernacular poetry and his great sonnets, the Canzoniere, his reputation as a humanist
rests on his Latin work. He showed the way to others by highlighting the value of classical
literature as a vehicle of reforms. His programme of reforms consisted of firstly reconstruction
of classical culture followed by a careful understanding and imitation of the classical heritage.
Finally instead of merely copying ancient values and styles, he suggested a series of changes
and reforms.
His programme became popular among the wealthy oligarchs of Florence. The humanist led
by Petrarch gave importance to rhetoric or beauty of language. The subsequent generation of
humanists continued to attack scholasticism. Giovanni Boccaccio was another important
humanist and was known for his work the ‘Decameron’. His knowledge on Greek was great
and he considered poetry to be a vehicle through which truths could be presented symbolically.
Cicero also served as a source of inspiration in the development of Civic humanism, these men
believed that one must lead an active life for one's own state and that everything, including
wealth, should be considered good if that increased one's power of action. They believed that
through participation in state affairs an individual grows to maturity, both intellectually and
morally. Leonardo Bruni recreated history of the Roman republic in his writings and suggested
that the virtue of the Roman state should be adopted by Florence. Although civil humanism
originated in Florence, it soon emerged in other parts of Europe. It reflected the value of an
urban society.
Under Erasmus, a distinct movement, the “Devotio Moderna” was expounded. Dovotio
Moderna proclaimed the primacy of Christian life and Christian doctrines. Devotio Moderna,
or Modern Devotion, was a religious movement of the Late Middle Ages. It came into being at
the same time as Christian Humanism, a meshing of Humanism and Christianity. Christian
Humanism advocated studying the fundamental texts of Christianity to come to one's own
relationship with God. The book “The Imitation of Christ,” written by Thomas Kempis, a
Brother of the Common Life, outlines the concepts of Modern Devotion, based on personal
connection to God and the active showing of love towards him.
Devotio Moderna sought to display and prescribe that the Christian way of life, with its
emphasis on hard work, mercy and simplicity was the best template to realize the human
potential that so fascinated the humanists. This was devotion, for and by the modern times.
While discussing the achievements of the humanists, one must admit that many humanists
displayed extraordinary skills, and they through their activities promoted civic culture that was
more secular and human.
The period from about 1490-1520 is described as the ‘High Renaissance’. In early
Renaissance, the art of the ancient period was imitated naively and was held up as a source of
beauty and accurate representation. In the period of High Renaissance, this art was
scientifically and critically analyzed. The new ideas were particularly understood and
appreciated by the educated humanists and the elite of the city states. Art and architecture in
the period of the High Renaissance concentrated on visual as well as theoretical conquest of
nature. It expressed the skill and genius of the individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and many others. Also, the great Italian masters represented
concrete achievements by the discovery of scientific perspective, the knowledge of anatomy to
create beautiful human forms, a knowledge of classical forms representing dignity and sense
of proportion and frequent use of geometry in artistic creations. Renaissance artists learned the
rules of perspective. By making distant objects smaller than those close to the viewer, artists
could paint scenes that appeared three-dimensional. They also used shading to make objects
look round and real.
Also, various centers of Renaissance art also developed outside of Italy. As humanism in
northern Europe developed its own characteristics, the artistic developments outside Italy were
often influenced by Italian art but the peculiarities of different regions also determined the style
and the subject of artistic creations.
The intellectual climate promoted discussions and led to the formation of new ideas. The
history of the centuries preceding Renaissance, that of invasion of by the Germanic tribes
etc further tell us that why it was so necessary to have a new way and approach towards
the various aspects of life. Also, the diminishing control of the church and introduction of the
Printing press are also of utmost importance.

The Printing press made the spread of literary easier and thus in a way helped in the rise of an
intellectual atmosphere. The printing revolution brought many changes. Books printed with
movable type on rag paper were cheaper and easier to produce than hand-copied works. As
books became more readily available, more people learned to read and write. They also gained
access to a broad range of knowledge as presses churned out books on topics from medicine
and law to astrology, mining, and geography, which also led to the steady growth of the
Renaissance. Before the invention of the printing press, knowledge to priests, monasteries, and
universities. Suddenly, many thousands of people, even merchants could learn far more than
they ever could before.