What Changes Took Place During the Renaissance and Why Did These Changes Happen?

What changes took place during the Renaissance and why did these changes happen?

The Renaissance which was known as the ‘time of rebirth’ took place in the 15th century. It was shortly after the Bubonic plague and a result of the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1463. During this period, many changes came about due to the influence of Classical Greeks, Romans, and the Church. An additional contribution was that many wealthy merchants and scientists were thirsty and curious to enhance their knowledge. Some of the discoveries that emerged were the development of art, scientific discoveries, architecture and religion. Many of the changes that occurred were due to previous factors from the Middle Ages, and especially from the Black Death.

During the Renaissance, there was an immense change with people’s beliefs about religion. Shortly after the Plague, individuals began to realise that religion was not a key point, or factor to life. This was seen, for example, when the people who still dedicated their lives to the Church still died nevertheless from the Black Death, or the bubonic plague. Paintings in the Renaissance also suggested that the art works that were no longer in relation to the subject of religion Also, we can see changes in people's belief in religion was when Martin Luther, 1517, began what was known to be the reformation. This included his 95 theses of which criticised the Roman Catholic Church, and in particular, Pope Alexander VI. It was meant to be him, who introduced the scrolls named indulgences, which cleared people of all their sins. However, this was an intentional way to cheat people who were expecting forgiveness in to giving money to the church. It soon became clear that the Pope's behaviour was a disgrace, as he did not follow the conduct that he had promised to follow, when becoming a pope. Many people began to realise these conspiracies of the Church when there was an increase in education which meant that people could now read the bible for themselves. They even started doubting the Church of its divine rights to rule over the people when there was an increase to the people's scientific knowledge too. Of course, this links back to the core of how there was an increase of education and scientific knowledge from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance era which allowed this change in belief of religion to occur. Finally the faults of the church became more and more observable, which then led to them being the reason why religion to people in the Renaissance changed and became less imperative to them, losing the faith and support alongside too.

The Renaissance being the time of ‘rebirth’ meant that certain people were actually eager and curious to learn about scientific discovery. A great interest was taken in to studying the human body and anatomy by scientists. This change first occurred when the plague, the Black Death, arose many questions on how to cure such diseases which enhanced people’s knowledge on this subject. Most of this information linked to that of the Classical Roman and Greek thinkers. Also more and more scientific knowledge was spread around when there was more contact from different cultures that had developed difference ideas of science through trade (like in the Middle Ages where more fairs and markets were held because of the peasants becoming wealthier). Also during the Middle Ages, through sickness and disease, each village had a 'wise women' who was a women who tried (and lots of times successed) cure peasants who couldn't afford high-fee doctors. It turned out that many of the methods of the wise women in the village were better than the doctors and those peasant then each had more scientific knowledge to pass around and spread. An example to the curious and eager changed character of scientists and doctors in the Renaissance era, is Andreas Vesalius who is either known as 'the father of medicine' or on a more negative view 'the bodysnatcher' as he showed a keen interest towards it -science. He gained further knowledge on the anatomy by using extremes methods such as committing crimes like carrying out dissections on bodies of criminals, and undertaking several unsupported scientific experiments. He was one of the scientists to offer a new method of working. Vesalius published a book of the human body in 1543, with detailed pictures of the parts of the body, which enabled the importance of the new found information for students to have a precise understanding in this subject. He proved that most works of Claudius Galen were in fact correct. His published books sold many copies. Scientific discovery intrigued several and clearly demonstrated another key change which was influenced by the Classical Greek and Roman Learning.
Architecture was a profound development that was well known in the Renaissance. Styles of buildings such as Renaissance and Classical architecture emerged. Before that, the Milan Cathedral in Italy began in 1386 and demonstrated a clear gothic design with the tops pointing upwards, symbolising they were religious as they were directing to God and the heavens above. However, this was before the Renaissance, during the Middle Ages where religion was still a important part of villagers or peasants' lives. In the duration of the ‘rebirth’ famous architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi created an entirely different way of constructing churches and large buildings. His new ideas about engineering and technology were used in one of his well known structures, the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and its high, octagonal-ribbed dome of the Duomo, or his Dome of the Florence Cathedral. It was formed to be having more round domes and column designs, which also confirmed religion becoming of less importance and the science and stability of the building to of more importance. Such works was carried out by people so curious as him and also by reason of motivation from the Greek and Classical thinkers. To find how this change occurred was to link back to how architecture was in its previous state i.e. in the Middle Ages, which were said to be motivated by religion. But the change in architecture is closely related to the change in science, or just even generally education; the more education, the better- lots of knowledge and education was required for architecture. Like when Brunelleschi was to build the Dome of Florence he was helped by the great scientist and even astronomer Toscanelli who much knowledge in science which he could apply to architecture. Architecture was a most impressive change that came about because the structure of the buildings in the Renaissance compared to the Middle Ages and the way it was to be portrayed had changed immensely during the era.

The period of the Italian Renaissance persisted to many centuries. Developments that occurred in this time ranged from scientific discovery to art and architecture. A majority of these were influenced by the Classical Greeks and Romans sophistication with the help of some of the supporting factors from the changes in the Middle Ages too. Some changes however, were motivated by just the educated in the Renaissance and their sheer curiosity to trial and experiment. This restored the captivating achievements to changes, among those people in Florence and Europe who experienced this golden age, making the Renaissance Era.