The Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries was a time of rediscovery. With Florence as its epicentre, it saw a revival of the art, culture and philosophy of ancient Greek and Rome, triggering huge shifts in creativity and thought. But what prompted such a hugely influential movement? Who drove its development, and how did its ideas spread with such unprecedented speed? And, if it weren’t for the great thinkers, artists and inventors of the Renaissance, would we still be living in the Dark Ages? 

This is a Short History of the Renaissance.

Written by Emma Christie. With thanks to Catherine Fletcher, Professor of History at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of The Beauty and the Terror: an Alternative History of the Italian Renaissance. 

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