Brief Look at the Renaissance The Renaissance, which began in Italy in 1300s, was one of the largest periods of growth and development in Western Europe. The increase in tradecaused a abundance in wealth that resulted in the focusing of the arts. Suchthings as literature, paintings, sculptures and many more works are known tohave blossomed from the period known as the Renaissance. Many otherimportant occurrences , such as the Reformation and split of the RomanCatholic Church caused by the opposing views of Martin Luther and more ofa focus on humankind called humanism, also the eight crusades to retakeJerusalem from the Muslims, played key rolls in the period of theRenaissance. The Crusades which took place before the period of theRenaissance are a major factor in the coming about or "birth" of theRenaissance. The eight Crusades were the efforts to take back Jerusalemfrom the Muslims. These Crusades introduced to Western Europe the newtastes of art, fine quisines and new types of cloth, including silk.. With thisthe need for trade with the Far East increased drastically. This increase intrade caused an abundance of wealth in Western Europe which internbrought new products and goods to Western Europe. In the year 1305 theRoman Catholic Church was relocated from Rome to France. With this thepower of the papal states was divided among the region's leading families.Starting near the year 1300 the demand for reform began to grow at arapid pace. By the 1600's close to half of the practicing Catholics in westernEurope had left the Church to join one of the new reformer religious groups.This reform brought about new ways of thought and new attitudes towardsreligion and the human race. The young German scholar realized that the wayto salvation was "justification by faith." Martin Luther's beliefs weredeemed to be heretic in nature and he was hidden away by a German prince.The word Renaissance means a "rebirth". This is exactly what happenedaft...
