Tag: reformation and enlightenment in europe

The 16th century has been called the century of geographical explorations. Until the end of the Middle Ages, Europeans were ignorant of geography. In the later developments, Europeans found new sea routes to various parts of the world. The new continent of North America, South America and Australia came to light. 

Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and was a centre of Greek and Roman cultures. It had the valuable manuscripts of the Greek and the Roman writers. But Constantinople fell into the hands of the Turks in 1453. Many Greek and Roman scholars were thus forced to shift to Rome and other parts of Europe with their manuscripts. 

The Mariner's compass and astrolabe were helpful to sailors in the 16th century. Charts and maps were made available to sailors. The first successful steam-powered vessel was a river steamer built in the USA by Robert Fulton in 1808. 

A new humanist culture had flowered in Italian towns from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. This culture was characterized by a new belief – that man, as an individual, was capable of making his own decisions and developing his skills.

Titian was noted for his mastery of colour. His use of paint and brushwork made him the foremost painter in Venice and his execution of both landscapes and portraits brought him great fame in his own lifetime.

The leader of this counter-reformation was the Spanish aristocrat called Ignatius Loyola. He founded the 'Society of Jesuits.' Their main aim was to restore the glory and authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The main objective was to impart good education to the followers of this organisation and make them dedicate their lives to the service of the society. 

Last Judgement was the remarkable painting of Michaelangelo. Last Judgement was one of the influential fresco works in the history of Western art. The Last Judgement is painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican city. The painting depicts the Second Coming of Christ, a future return of Jesus to Earth, and the final judgement by God of all humanity.

Leonardo-da-Vinci was a versatile genius, a writer, scientist, painter, inventor, engineer and architect. Leonardo da Vinci's famous paintings are the 'Monalisa' and the 'Last Supper.' 

The Renaissance eventually spread from northern Italy to the rest of Europe. Italy had three advantages that made it the birthplace of the Renaissance: thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of Greece and Rome.