The Renaissance and Architecture

Open Ended

What is the Renaissance? Briefly describe it. 

Multiple Select

What does the term "Renaissance" mean, and how does it reflect the changes in European society during this period? SELECT TWO.

• Age of Awakening/ Born Anew

• Writers, artists, and architects left previous eras of art, literature, and building styles behind

• Art and the humanities stayed stuck in the past

Multiple Choice

What specific features of Classical Greece and Rome influenced Renaissance architecture?

• Baroque ornamentation and asymmetry
• Gothic arches and stained glass
• Columns, symmetry, proportion, arches, domes, and classical motifs.
• Modern glass facades and minimalism

Open Ended

The image shows an example of architecture seen during the Renaissance period. What influenced Renaissance architecture?

Johannes Gutenberg was a German craftsman who invented the printing press, a device that mass printed writings/books faster and cheaper than other forms of printing. Elements of his invention are thought to have included a metal alloy that could melt readily and cool quickly to form durable reusable type, an oil-based ink that could be made sufficiently thick to adhere well to metal type and transfer to vellum or paper, and a new press; likely adapted from those used in producing wine, oil, or paper, for applying firm even pressure to printing surfaces. None of these features existed in the European technique used up to that time for stamping letters on various surfaces or in woodblock printing. Gutenberg’s printing press was considered a history-changing invention, making books widely accessible and ushering in an “information revolution.”

Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press

Johannes Gutenberg

The immediate effect of the printing press was the increased output and reduced costs of books. The printing press made information available to a larger segment of the population who were, of course, eager for information of any variety. In particular, citizens of European countries gained access to a wider range of viewpoints about religious and non-religious matters. Libraries could also store greater quantities of information at a much lower cost. Printing also facilitated the dissemination and preservation of knowledge in standardized form -- this was most important in the advance of science, technology and scholarship. The printing press certainly initiated an "information revolution" on par with the Internet today. Printing could and did spread new ideas quickly and with greater impact.

How the Printing Press Changed Society

Open Ended

The printing press has been compared to the arrival of the internet. How are they similar? How are they different?