Italian Renaissance brought humanity into a golden age of artistic expression and the rejuvenation of humanism as a philosophy and a way of looking at the world. (Italian Renaissance, 1) The re-discovery of many ancient Greek and Roman texts allowed architects, artists, historians, and scientists to build upon the greatest achievements of man from the ancient world. After centuries of feudalism and a strong Catholic Church, wealthy elites began to compete amongst themselves in various artistic forms, commissioning works of art from common artists intended for the personal glorification of themselves or their family, a sharp contrast to the feudal idea of serf and lord. The Italian Renaissance consolidated science and technology in order to establish new understanding of the world, and the way in which humanity thought.

The Renaissance that began in the various principalities of Italy slowly spread north to France, Germany, England, and elsewhere in Northern Europe,...
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