RENAISSANCE: WHERE DID THE RENAISSANCE TAKE PLACE? WHAT WAS THE RENAISSANCE VIEW OF THE WORLD? BIOGRAPHY: LEONARDO DA VINCI 1452–1519 WHAT CAN WE SEE OF THE RENAISSANCE TODAY? PATRONAGE One of the most creative periods in history occurred in Europe around 1350–1550. This cultural revival is known as the Renaissance (meaning “rebirth”). It was inspired by the civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome. WHERE DID THE RENAISSANCE TAKE PLACE? Italy was the powerhouse of the Renaissance. At that time it was divided into independent states, where wealthy rulers offered PATRONAGEto great artists. The Renaissance also spread through southern France and Spain, and influenced northern Europe. WHAT WAS THE RENAISSANCE VIEW OF THE WORLD? There was a passion for knowledge. Scholars had mostly studied the teachings of the Church, but they now rediscovered ancient philosophers. Artists became fascinated by the human body. To celebrate its beauty, they turned away from the formal drawing style of the Middle Ages and adopted a more realistic, natural style. Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant inventor. This reconstruction shows a flying machine that first appeared in his sketchbooks, alongside futuristic plans for a helicopter, tank, and diving suit. BIOGRAPHY: LEONARDO DA VINCI 1452–1519 Leonardo was a genius. Writer, painter, sculptor, engineer, and architect, he left behind a wealth of sketches and what has become the world’s best-known painting—the portrait of a mysterious, smiling woman known as Mona Lisa. WHAT CAN WE SEE OF THE RENAISSANCE TODAY? Many Italian cities still have splendid palaces, churches, libraries, and public squares built during the Renaissance. Visitors to Rome can wonder at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, created by Michelangelo, or the masterpieces painted by Raphael. PATRONAGE Patronage is the support given by the wealthy to artists, writers, and musicians. Renaissance patrons included the French royal family and powerful Italian nobles such as the Sforzas, the Medicis, and the Borgias. WHY DID FLORENCE FLOURISH? The Renaissance was a period of great social change, when more and more political power came from money and trade. The Italian city of Florence was a European center of banking. Its leading family, the Medici, loaned money to popes and kings. It was the Medici fortune that paid the wages of artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.