Renaissance Man

The Renaissance, begun in 1350 in Florence, Italy, brought on a rebirth and rediscovery of classical culture. In breaking away from the Middle Ages, people brought new attitudes of optimism, confidence, and creativity. They admired and encouraged art, literature, and scholarship. Their surroundings were constant reminders of ancient Rome, certainly helping to boost the interest in classical culture. Medieval society, profoundly consisting of suffering and death, showed its miserable condition through artwork and writings. In the Middle Ages as well, people tried to clarify Church teachings and encourage preparation for an afterlife. So whereas the people of the Middle Ages focussed on surviving, the people of the Renaissance, following classical Greece and Rome, believed in living life as fully as possible. The Renaissance brought on an entirely new view of life. People now had much more secular values and were more accepting of individualism. This Renaissance spirit brought o...