The document discusses key aspects of the Renaissance period in Europe including its start in Florence, Italy in the 1400s and significant changes it brought to social/cultural life, art, architecture, literature, science, and philosophy. It then profiles several important Renaissance figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Copernicus, Galileo, Shakespeare, and their contributions to fields like painting, sculpture, astronomy, literature, and more. Finally, it provides brief biographies of other influential Renaissance individuals from places like Italy, England, Poland, Netherlands who advanced areas like printing, architecture, theology, and humanism.

1. Group Members:
Aashna Marghani
Samhita Kalidindi
Sohan Gopal Reddy
Mohammad Ameen
Syed Amir Affan
- What is the Renaissance period
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Why is he still so famous
- His work
- Who’s who in Renaissance

2. What is the Renaissance?
 The period of transition from the Medieval Period to the Modern Era of Europe.
 Started in Florence, Italy in the 1400s.
 This period saw significant changes in:
o Social & Cultural Life
o Art & Architecture
o Literature
o Science
o Philosophy
o Exploration of the world outside Europe
The School of Athens, painted by the artist
Raphael in 1526. Renaissance painters tried
to make their paintings as lifelike as
possible.

3. Renaissance in a nutshell
In the middle ages of European history,
people who portrayed creativity or
diverged from established methods of
thinking and behaving, were often
punished or outcast from society. The
Roman Catholic Church controlled
almost everything, right from taxes to
law. Whoever went against the church
(known as Heretics) was severely
tortured or burned alive in public. But
the early 14th century saw tremendous
change in social & cultural life, art,
architecture, philosophy, science, trade
& literature. This period was known as
the Renaissance.

4. Explorations in the Renaissance
- Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506): was an Italian explorer and navigator from Genoa. He is
famously known for discovering America in the year 1492. He actually wanted to find a western
sea route to discover Asia; but actually came across Asia. He literally was not ready to believe
that he had discovered America and not Asia. It became clear that America was not Asia when
the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered India in 1498.

5. Explorations in the Renaissance
- Vasco da Gama (? – 1524): Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who discovered the sea
route to India by sailing across the southern tip of Africa. When he came to India, the King of
Kerala was so fascinated by the foreigner that he gifted him diamonds, jewels, spices, gold, and
all the riches that he inherited. He went back to Europe and spread information about India’s
enormous wealth. He is seen as one of the reasons for the colonisation of India. The Portuguese
were the first to trade with India. After the Portuguese came to India, the Dutch ruled us, then
the French and finally the British, who set their stamp on India for three centuries!

6. Leonardo Da Vinci
Life Story of Leonardo Da Vinci
1452 – Born
1469 – Became an apprentice to the artist Verrocchio in Florence, Italy
1478 – Produced first drawings of war machinery
1489 – Began making anatomical sketches of the human body. This helped scientists to learn about the human body
1495 – Began to paint, the Last Supper
1502 – Recruited as a painter by the powerful Italian prince Cesare Borgia
1503 – Started painting the world’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa
1512 – Moved to Rome to work for another powerful Italian family, the Medici
1519 – Died at Cloux, France

7. Why is Leonardo still so famous?
 His paintings are very lifelike. People can forget that they are looking at the painting, the Last
Supper and not the hills through the window in the painting. His masterpiece the Mona Lisa, is
the most famous painting in the world even today.
 His sketches of the flying machine is somewhat similar to the mechanism that is used today.
His sketches of the human body helped scientists in understanding the anatomy of humans. He
actually cut apart dead bodies of humans to draw sketches.

8. His Masterpieces

9. Who’s who in Renaissance
Holy Roman Empire
- Johann Gutenberg (1400-68): developed the first printing press in 1439. This printing involved
cutting wooden blocks, giving letters shape, inking them and transferring them on to paper.

10. Who’s who in Renaissance
Italy
- Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1474 – 1564): He was an Italian painter, sculptor,
architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who was very interested in spreading
western art. His paintings were as good as Leonardo da Vinci’s. Some of his greatest works
include the great statue of David in Florence & the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

11. Who’s who in Renaissance
Italy
- Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 - 1446): He was a brilliant Italian architect who’s architecture styles
impacted Christian monuments, cathedrals, and churches. His buildings made Florence much
admired in the early renaissance.

12. Who’s who in Renaissance
England
- William Caxton (1442 – 1491): William Caxton was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and
printer. He is thought to be the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce
a printing press into England, which he did in 1476. He published the first book in 1477. His
knowledge and ideas were easily spread among well educated people. The improved printing
press was a huge contribution to the world of paper.

13. Who’s who in Renaissance
Poland
- Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543): Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish mathematician and
astronomer who studied the movements of Earth, Sun, Moon and the Stars. He went against the
Roman Catholic Church to prove that the Earth revolved around the sun instead of the sun
revolving around Earth. He and many of his followers (Heretics – someone who holds
unorthodox beliefs) were outcast from society.

14. Who’s who in Renaissance
Italy
- Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642): Galileo Galilei, was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer,
philosopher, and mathematician who played a major role in the scientific revolution during the
Renaissance. He invented the microscope, telescope and the compass. He is widely regarded as
one of the greatest scientists of all time.

15. Who’s who in Renaissance
England
- William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616): William Shakespeare was a very famous playwright, poet
and actor who lived in the Elizabethan Renaissance period. He was called the ‘national poet’ of
England. Queen Elizabeth was a huge fan of Shakespeare and supported him financially. Some of
Shakespeare’s famous work include – Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet,
The Merchant of Venice, King Lear and Twelfth Night.

16. Who’s who in Renaissance
Italy
- Donato Bramante (1444 - 1514): Donato Bramante was an Italian architect, who introduced
Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style to Rome, where his plan for
St. Peter's Basilica formed the basis of design executed by Michelangelo. St. Peter’s Basilica was
constructed in 1626. Its designing involved many architects – Michelangelo, Gian Lorenzo
Bernini, Donato Bramante and many others. It follows the Renaissance and Baroque styles of
architecture.

17. Who’s who in Renaissance
Netherlands
- Desiderius Erasmus (1466 – 1536): Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, was a Dutch Renaissance
humanist, Catholic priest, social critic and teacher. Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in
a pure Latin style. He was the greatest writer in the Renaissance period. He spread humanist
ideas that were inspired by the Ancient Greek and Roman writers. Humanists felt that humans
could achieve great things.