What were the causes of the Renaissance?

Answer 1

Part of the problem in answering this question is that the so-called "Renaissance" was not quite as glorious as its participants portrayed it. More importantly, it was NOT so unique. The way it has often been potrayed your question is esp. appropriate, because one almost thinks it sprang out of nowhere!!

In fact, recent scholars have taken to speaking of MULTIPLE renaissances, of which "THE Renaissance" (the one beginning in Italy in the 15th century) was but one. As a matter of fact, there is a fair case to be made that the "Renaissance of the 12th century" (of the "High Middle Ages") played a more pivotal role in advancing society, esp. in areas of STUDY (academics, founding of science). Note that this earlier renaissance was the time of the creation of the UNIVERSITY system, from which many of the scholarly began to flow as scholars from across Europe began to work together. These earlier advances (including also advances in government, technology, etc.) over several CENTURIES were the ground in which Italy's Renaissance grew.

"The Italian “Renaissance” was not a “rediscovery” of classical learning. Rather, it was a period of cultural emulation during which people of fashion copied the classical style in manners, art, literature, and philosophy. Out of passion for their own ancient days of glory, explains French historian Régine Pernaud, Italians began to claim that Western history consisted of “two periods of light: antiquity and the Renaissance...and between the two...crude centuries and obscure times.” Thus, from fashionable enthusiasm and ethnic pride was born the notion of a dark age followed by a dawning of a new enlightenment. But, it wasn’t so. Scholastic scholars knew and understood the works of Plato, Aristotle, and all the rest."
http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.17713/article_detail.asp

Now the Italian (cultural) Renaissance (and its successors in other countries), was made possible in large part because of growing economic prosperity of And this was due to a number of advances, and esp to growing TRADE. How did this happen? The interactions with the Islamic world, including the Crusades played a large part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance#Origins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_of_the_12th_century

Answer 2

Heh, Renaissance actually means rebirth.

Crusaders brought back the stories, art, and literature of the great Byzantine Empire and Arabic translations of ancient Greek writers. This started the Aristotelian revolution, of whom Thomas Aquinas is the exemplar. As Islam expanded, educated Greek refugees moved west into Italy where they helped reintroduce classical culture and ideas.

There were also notable artistic rediscoveries, such as the beautiful Lacoon statue now in the Vatican museum.

The Black Death also killed off lots of people, which left the survivors with lots of land to work and little labor. So there was an economic boom too among the working class and those who inherited large amounts of land from plague victims. Combine this new leisured class with the advent of the printing press, which would later power the anti-Renaissance Reformation, and you have a large-scale intellectual renewal on your hands.

That's just a few reasons. Now do more research on your own.

Answer 3

Common people - amongst them some brainy, yet "under privileged, ones - simply got fed-up being kept in the dark by a select few religious zealots and royalty (who had become quite passé in any case!) and started thinking for themselves. They threw away the shackles of church bondage and became "enlightened" - "renaissance" literally means "enlightened".

Answer 4

political and social change