Introduction
The Renaissance refers to the scientific, cultural, intellectual, and political explosion that occurred in Europe between the 14 th and 17 th Centuries (McNair, 1981) . The renaissance led to the rediscovery of literature, art and classical philosophy. The renaissance originated from Florence in the 14 th Century and then spread across Europe – its ideas in constant motion and evolution matching the local culture and thinking conditions, maintaining the ideals in Europe. As a result of the renaissance, cities in Europe developed into centers of commerce and feudal societies being transformed into a market-based economy (McNair, 1981) . From 1346-1353, a disastrous plague known as the Black Death spread that consumed communities across Europe changing their social and economic fabric completely. This led to the rise of merchant and banking families such as the Medici family of Italy. The growth in all aspects of life that led to discoveries in the field of science that greatly influenced the developments in art, geography, physics, and anatomy.
Causes and Effects of the Renaissance
The church in the era of change
The renaissance period in Europe brought about the rebirth of religious reforms as well as the celebration of human achievement in the development of language, art, and exploration (King, 2011) . Christianity was largely spread through a belief called humanism where the church was the sole authority on moral and religious matters. Education was at the core of Christian humanism, where many of the humanists studied in universities all over Europe and then sought to educate the masses on matters concerning religion (King, 2011) . Christian humanism largely concentrated on the education of those at the top of the social class, mostly the ruling classes who were responsible for enforcing reforms. Through education, Christianity brought about the discovery of ancient languages that made it possible for Christian humanists to read, understand and rediscover the teachings of the bible (Kadi, 2014) . Christian humanists led to the development of art as most people just went to church to church to worship God and they did not know what God looked like or the purpose of believing in God. During this period, artists began drawing pictures relating to Christianity so that people’s worldview would change and start believing in God through pictures (Kadi, 2014) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Expansion of Trade and Commerce
The growth of trade and commerce led to the development of a new economy during the renaissance period, and the agrarian economy was being transformed into one based on capital. In the middle ages, people used to traded and battered goods. However, during the renaissance, a money economy was created, and people began to trade using coins (Kadi, 2014) . The coins were different, and therefore this created merchants who responsible for changing coins from one currency to another. As a result, it led to the growth of bankers who exchanged currency, loaned money to rulers and merchants. Cities such as Genoa and Venice, grew as they were located on the trade routes that linked Western Europe with the East (Kadi, 2014) . Genoa and Venice became prosperous trading centers that attracted customers and merchants. This period marked an increased production in luxury goods and art that spurred the European economy from the 17 th century onwards.
Education and Learning During the Renaissance
The systems of education during the renaissance period were so successful that they survived into the 20 th century. Scholars in the renaissance institutionalized fundamental principles and values through systems of education (Fasolt, 2012) . During the Renaissance, it was believed that it was through education that one could become a captain of an industry, an admiral, or the proconsul of an empire. The development of the printing press in the 15 th century made books more available, and this increased the literacy rates even though school attendance did not increase. Middle-class children were educated through elementary schools, while the lower-class children received little or no education. Children from the upper class and the noble attended humanist elementary schools (Fasolt, 2012) . Martin Luther, a pioneer in education, believed that the church, family, state and the school were leaders of transformation in the society. Luther also believed that a family was unit was instrumental in shaping children’s character. Therefore, he encouraged parents to teach their children religion and reading. There was a new desire in Italy and Europe to prepare the younger generation for a life of public service. In Italy Guarino da Verona and Vittorino da Feltre developed a curriculum that concentrated on the study of classical literature and instructions in moral values (Fasolt, 2012) . Athletics was also introduced into the curriculum, as they were seeking a balanced program that would develop not the mind alone but also the body.
Impacts of the Renaissance in the Modern World
Impacts of the Renaissance on Medicine
The renaissance period marked the age of discovery in Europe and Italy. Before the 14 th Century, medicine was largely based on theories, and there was little or no research conducted into what medical cures and practices worked (LEMIRE, 2011) . Through the works of Leonardo Davinci and Giovanni Battista, the autopsy become the most iconic breakthrough of the renaissance period. In Europe, the autopsy was introduced by the Greeks, but with the rise of the church, it was regarded as an offense against the dead. Due to the developments made by Giovani Battista, today, autopsies are used across the world as a tool to find out the cause of death or the medical state before an individual died (LEMIRE, 2011) . Autopsies conducted in the 17 th century have contributed to science in medical research that has helped gain insight into how the human body works (Reinert & Fredona, 2017).
Hieronymus Fabricius is regarded as the father of tracheostomy. Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where an incision is made on the neck and opens a direct airway into the trachea. This is a procedure used when a person is faced with obstruction in the upper airway (LEMIRE, 2011) .
Influence of the Renaissance Education
The printing press, developed in the 15 th century, made it possible for books education to spread throughout the world. Today, we have books, comics, newspapers and electronic books that make it possible for education to transferred to individuals across the world (Reinert & Fredona, 2017). The printing press made it possible to increase the output in the production and cut down on the cost of books. It made it possible for the information to be readily available to larger segments of the population. The printing press also made it possible for the preservation and dissemination of knowledge that led to the advancement of science and technology. Printing prevented the corruption of texts through hand copying (Reinert & Fredona, 2017).
Influence of the Renaissance in Banking
Between the 14 th and the 15 th century, the Medici family came into power with the creation of the Bank of Medici (Burke, 2012). The Bank of Medici became a central hub in Italy for 400 years, where their fortunes grew, and they flourished through a variety of ventures. Through their shrewd practices, the Medici generated a lot of wealth that sponsored the greatest artists of their time (Burke, 2012). The double entry booking system can be traced before the Medici’s time, but it was the family that popularized their use in banks. The Medici needed a more accurate system of maintaining their books and reducing banking errors due to the increase in wealth generators form merchants.
For international trade to flourish in the 15 th century, a letter of credit was needed, where the buyer’s bank guaranteed to pay the sellers bank at the time when the goods/services were delivered (Burke, 2012). As ships sailed and caravans wheeled goods across Europe, a letter of credit became a necessity for the merchants. A holding company is not a banking innovation, but it was first introduced by the Medici family, and it was the pillar in which their power in Europe lay on. By the 15 th century, the Medici family had expanded their network to branches across Bruges, Avignon, Barcelona, Milan, Rome and Geneva (Burke, 2012). Each of the branches was a partnership that was held under their central holding company in Florence.
The Renaissance period in Italy and Europe led to increased interactions between different societies and cultures. The combination of the middle ages and the rise of Christianity led to the formation of a society that was rigid religiously and economically. During the renaissance period, the European society was open to change, and the shift in perspective and worldview led to innovations and discoveries.
References
Burke, P. (2012). A Case of Cultural Hybridity: The European Renaissance. Retrieved from https://www.eth.mpg.de/3790199/Goody_Lecture_2012.pdf
Fasolt, C. (2012). Saving Renaissance and Reformation: History, Grammar, and Disagreements with the Dead. Religions , 3 (3), 662-680. doi: 10.3390/rel3030662
Guarnieri, Ma., & Negro. (2012). The Italian Renaissance: Transition from Medieval to Early Modern Europe of the University System and Higher Learning .
Kadi, F. (2014). The European Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation and Its Influence on the Birth of Albanian Literature. Journal Of Educational And Social Research . doi: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p388
King, M. (2011). The Renaissance. Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets . doi: 10.1093/obo/9780195399301-0123
LEMIRE, B. (2011). Dressing up: cultural identity in Renaissance Europe. By Ulinka Rublack. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Pp. xxi+354. ISBN 978-0-19-929874-7. £30·00. The Historical Journal , 54 (4), 1211-1212. doi: 10.1017/s0018246x11000318
McNair, P. (1981). The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century in Renaissance Italy. Studies In Church History , 17 , 149-166. doi: 10.1017/s0424208400010329
Reinert, S., & Fredona, R. (2017). Merchants and the Origins of Capitalism. Retrieved from http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/publication%20files/18-021_b3b67ba8-2fc9-4a9b-8955-670d5f491939.pdf .
