Renaissance Era: Influential Events, Institutions, and People

Greek and Roman writings were rediscovered, which sparked heavy interest in discovery and education. The printing press was invented during this era, which provided the first opportunity to create duplications of documents. With this new convenience, more people were provided with information that they would not have had access to in the Medieval era.

The disbursement of material contributed to a decline in the Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation was born. The humanistic spirit was prevalently demonstrated in the sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo, in Shakespeare’s plays, and in the music of the era.

The trained musicians of the church were no longer the only trained musicians. A school of composers mastered the art of polyphony and incorporated it into their own versions of sacred music.

Listen to the following example: