Tag: renaissance

St. Peter's Basilica, which is called in Italian "Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano", is a large church in the Vatican City, in Rome, Italy. It is often called "the greatest church in Christendom". The foundation stone of St Peter’s Cathedral was laid on St Peter’s Day (29th June) 1869.

Every European country wanted to find a sea route in order to continue their trade with the Asian country for which various expeditions were carried out. The Portuguese and the Spanish were in the forefront 

Cotton and silk textiles had a huge market in Europe. Indian textiles were by far the most popular, both for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Spices too were in high demand because of the many benefits it had ans also the value it had. People in the Renaissance found many uses for spices and the spice trade was basic to the Renaissance economy. Pepper was used to preserve and to flavor spoiled meat. Cloves and cinnamon were used as substitutes for cleanliness and ventilation. They were strewn across the floor to prevent foot odor from permeating the room. 

After the discovery of silk road, China became one of the biggest exporters of silk. Besides silk, the Chinese also exported tea, salt, sugar, porcelain and spices.

Scents were famous in Arabia. The craft of perfumery is an essential part of Muslim culture. Arabian perfumes have long been alluring the world with their distinct fragrances and are now synonymous with ancient heritage as well as fine luxury.

Expeditions were financed by European kings and queens. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to sponsor the expedition, and on 3 August 1492, Columbus and his fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña, set sail across the Atlantic.

Petrarch was a poet and scholar whose humanist philosophy set the stage for the Renaissance. He is also considered one of the fathers of the modern Italian language. Dante and other supporters were his followers. 

The failure of the Manchu Dynasty to protect China from foreign aggression and to carry out extensive economic and political reforms had convinced a large number of intellectuals and members of the upper classes that the Chinese people must get rid of the “foreign yoke” of the Manchus and of the thousand-year-old absolute monarchy if they wanted to create a new, strong, modern China. The bravest supporters of a republican form of government were the revolutionaries led by the founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen.

In England, the small peasants were being deprived of their land by landlords. Since the Native Americans mostly acted in friendship and extended help and cooperation to the Europeans, many of these peasants migrated to North America and wished to settle down there. Eventually, they forced the Native Americans to give up their land by killing and driving them into the interior.

The western European countries invested large amounts of money by hiring experienced sea mariners and giving them ships and other resources to explore new routes. This led to the discovery of Central America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. He thought he reached India and called the local people Indians. That is why the original inhabitants of America are called Native Indians today.