Had a question from a friend today that I thought would make the perfect blog entry here on Eligius, so I made the answer to her, but here is a bit more details on the matter.  The question was a very basic, “Was the renaissance going on during the 14th century?”  It is a valid question to be sure, but perhaps it is one of those that it is not really so valid to answer.  And certainly if an answer it is given, as I did then and am doing again now, it comes with a litany of qualifications on the answer.

To begin, a bit of background about the term.  A lot of historians prefer to not use the term renaissance as a description for a specific time period, but rather as the time when society began to once again seek answers to questions and pursue methods beyond.  A number of the great thinkers that we associate with the renaissance and enlightened thinking are precisely why we call someone who thinks own there own and outside of the current world view a true renaissance man in todays nomenclature.

Further, a fair number of historians, instead of defining the period by timelines, again prefer to define the pursuit of the classics.  From my own very limited reading on the the subject a great number tend to define it as the time when the local scholars began to turn back to Latin for both science and math, and to some extent even the humanities like plays the theater and poetic writings.  Of course other scholars argue that the relative ease and even common availability of Latin works on such subjects and the turning  back to is not really a renaissance.  They would instead argue that the renaissance is much more closely defined as the time when the scholars exhausted the Latin resources and turned to the Greek, especially in regards to the arts and humanities.  They will note that by the late medieval times, most knowledge of Greek language had been lost and this required interaction with the Byzantine Empire and a rather large learning curve.

All of that aside though, most of us are much more apt to define it as a specific time period, specifically associated with both a rediscovery of classical art forms and scientific methods, in associate with exploration and expansion on all the concepts.  But even that definition leaves us with plenty of room to haggle about things, as each country or area of Europe seemed to have this process, for various reasons, occur at different times.

Simply put, there is clear evidence that most all would agree the concepts of the renaissance occurred first in Italy.  More specially those changes tend to take place in Florence before any other place.  There are many arguments as to the possible cause of this ranging from the support of the various families trying to out do the others, especially as the Medici came to power.  Another is of course the various artists and such vied for the attention and subsequent support of the powerful families that it spurred the rapid development of the art forms.  Regardless the typical date of the start is 1350, though I have seen as early as 1300 and a lot of 1380, 1390, and even 1400 dates suggested.   Clearly, this would say in Italy and Florence in particular the renaissance started in the 14th century.  As an additional note, it is typically considered as continuing up through about 1550.

Skipping over to the place that I know the history a bit better, in England the renaissance was a much later happening.  A lot of people would give the beginning date as 1485, very late in the 15th century and coinciding with the Henry VII taking the thrown and the end of the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty, most closely associated with the English renaissance.  Many more would argue though, that the renaissance begins with Henry VIII coming to the throne in 1509, suggesting his father was more of a transitional figure.  And a few others would say it really does not flourish in England until roughly Henry’s break with the Church of Rome at a later date.  Regardless this put the date clearly in the early 16th century.   Of interesting note, is unlike in Italy where the focus was much more on painting and sculpture as art, here the focus was much more on writing, theater, and such as that from an artistic standpoint.  Clearly the greatest association with the English renaissance is the very stable reign and great support of the arts during the Elizabeth I time on the throne.  Most would argue an end to the renaissance between 1620 and 1650, though most will go with the later date.

History lesson over, any questions?

** – picture of Henry VIII, note not obese, but a much younger and very stout Henry and not a turkey leg, but as originally painted, a glove!