The Renaissance and its origin in Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Renaissance and its origin in Italy - Essay Example Theorists have often argued that the Fall of Constantinople, followed by the mass exodus of scholars from Constantinople, to escape the persecution of the Ottoman Turks, to Italy was what kicked off the Renaissance. The Renaissance, one might say was not a new phenomenon in as far as it led only to a revival of interest in the classics of antiquity. This is true since the vast resources that were brought from the famous libraries of Constantinople were what formed the majority of the work that was worked upon. Brought to other parts of Europe, these manuscripts were welcomed and greedily devoured by local scholars. The effect of this can be seen in the works of writers and painters of the period, among other scholars. Dante Alighieri, who in his work Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy in English), shows the influences of classical platonic ideas along with Islamic theories testifies to the above-mentioned theory. Painters like Leonardo da Vinci too, in paintings like â€Å"The Vitru vian Man† display influences of works of antiquity. What then, is new about the Renaissance? Texts that were brought to the European mainland underwent a re-interpretation that threw up possibilities that were never thought of before.