The Renaissance
The Renaissance began in the 14th century in Florence, Italy. There was a great change in culture, and acheivement which marked the transition from Medieval Europe to the Early Modern Europe. Some would argue that the Black Plague caused the Renaissance. Since Italy had lost so many lives from the plague, it changed people's thinking. They stopped thinking about their afterlives and instead dwelled on their lives on Earth. This could explain the shift in world view of people in 14th-century Italy. The Renaissance is widely known for the abudance of great artists such Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Donatello. Art developed new characteristics in the Renaissance such as linear perspective, new light and shadow techniques, and even studies of human anatomy were being done. The Renaissance changed the old way of thinking in Italy to a new, modern way of thinking. For example, people used observation and experimentation to solve earthly problems. As a result, many Italian scientists studied the laws of nature and the physical world. The Italian renaissance ended near the end of the 15th century because of constant wars for the wealthy peninsula and at the same time, the corrupt Catholic church had begun a violent crackdown on dissenters.