Renaissance: A Chronological Journey from Middle Ages to Modernity
Chronology of the Renaissance
The Revival in Italy
The Renaissance arose in Italian cities during the 14th century. These Italian states became centers of art, attracting educated men from across Europe and serving as sources for the dissemination of new, pro-Western ideas. The three major authors of this period were Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.
The Spanish Renaissance
The Spanish Renaissance unfolded in two stages: the pre-Renaissance of the 15th century and the full Renaissance of the 16th century.
The Pre-Renaissance (15th Century)
This period was one of transition, marked by political, social, and moral crises. Traditional medieval ideas coexisted with a new attitude towards life, influenced by various factors that gradually introduced changes. Traditional folk poetry, with its roots in medieval tradition, continued to be popular. This included the traditional lyric and the romancero. Courtly literature, characterized by its refined and gallant style, emerged in the courts. This literature included poetry, prose romances, and books of chivalry.
The Full Renaissance (16th Century)
The first half of the 16th century, coinciding with the reign of Charles V, was a period of splendor. A strong and vital society embraced European literary and artistic currents. Spanish humanists and artists traveled to Italy, and European intellectuals settled in Spain. Renaissance lyric poetry, exemplified by Garcilaso de la Vega, flourished. Didactic and critical literature also emerged, with figures like the Valdés brothers (Juan and Alfonso).
The second half of the century, under the reign of Philip II, saw a resurgence of traditional religiosity, influenced by the Council of Trent. The Inquisition was revived to pursue deviations from orthodoxy. Ascetic and mystical literature gained prominence, with authors like Fray Luis de León and San Juan de la Cruz.
From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
The 15th century marked the culmination of a long process of transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. During this pre-Renaissance period, the monolithic medieval worldview began to crumble. Humanism emerged as a new vision of life, challenging faith and the belief in exclusive truth. A curious and critical attitude developed, leading to a renewed interest in classical languages and texts. The invention of printing in the mid-15th century revolutionized the dissemination of written culture. In contrast to the oral tradition of medieval poetry, written works began to be valued and collected in songbooks and romanceros.
The Political and Social Crisis of the 15th Century
The first two-thirds of the 15th century, under the reigns of Enrique III and Enrique IV, saw a weakening of the monarchy. Royal authority declined, and the government fell into the hands of favorites. The nobility enriched themselves, and social anarchy ensued. The Reconquista, which had been a major focus of the Castilian crown in the Middle Ages, was abandoned, leading to the impoverishment of the general population. The reign of the Catholic Monarchs in the last third of the century brought about a strengthening of royal authority.
The Moral Crisis
During this period of crisis, medieval ideas that had maintained a rigid social order were challenged. The anthropocentric view gained ground, and the boundaries between the divine and the human became blurred. Fortune and death emerged as major concerns. Courtly literature reflected the values of the nobility, who became patrons of the arts and literature.
Courtly Literature
Courtly literature, born in the aristocratic circles, reflected the refined and gallant atmosphere of the court. Courtly poetry, often collected in songbooks, was influenced by various factors, including Provençal troubadour poetry, Italian Renaissance literature, and classical culture. Love became a central theme, depicted as a source of ennoblement and expressed through conventional and rhetorical devices. Didactic poetry also flourished, addressing moral issues in a solemn tone.
Traditional Folk Poetry
Traditional folk poetry continued to be popular, encompassing various forms such as the traditional lyric and the romancero. The traditional lyric, often anonymous and transmitted orally, reflected the joys and sorrows of everyday life. The romancero consisted of narrative ballads, often dealing with historical or legendary themes.
Songs of Love
under this heading include a heterogeneous group of songs k have in common a theme of love all of them are characterized by very short spring songs related to remote pagan festivals floral celebreban the arrival of the gayest season of the year in the life reborn k and young people are given the love, the songs are love poems friends and auroras are songs are songs and pilgrimages a suitable for lovers.
Mantal The change in the fall of the average age has been producing tirunfa cmabio of mentalities in the Italian Renaissance, the medieval religiosids k makes life revolves around love and the fear of god happens k attitude anthropocentric according to which man is the measure of all things, and faith in the dogmas crenecia gives way to the authority of reason and curiosity and critical spirit that will be the basis of modern science and the great discovery geographic, anoninmato collectivism and the average age is being supplanted by individualism k celebrates the man and his works are valued fame and success in social or political activity and stimulate intellectual and artistic property and devotion and mortification agrees with the vitality and the secularization of this life the world is no longer a jail or a larimar Valley into something worth living k k so people like pilgrimages parties and celebrations, there is a separation between religion and k move life carries with it the exaltation of human Amso and admiration of pagan art. la Neuve Renaissance poetry thematic and formal revolution of the 16th century Renaissance poetry is not a natual continuation of trends started in the classical 15th century but k was introduced by Bradley, and new Garsilaso, Platonic love, nature and classical mythology were maniestaciones of this new vision of poetry. The new issues of the Neoplatonic philosophy, and the poet francesco pretarca oncepcion k be the new love is amro seen a spiritual source of life and a path of perfection and dignifies k embellces love to contemplate the physical beauty and moral perfection of his beloved, the spiritual love is the foundation of the great poetry of the Renaissance as canzoniere of k petrarca collects his masters laura madonna passionate, happy and while they lived felix and disconsolate trassu muerrte or sonnets and eclogues of Garcilaso de la Vega, classical literature through the Italian Renaissance reached the positive value of and attention nataturalexa to the description tags algunso landscaping now reborn classic myth of the golden age of the first after the creation when there was need for justice, no laws exist not yours or mine and so it is an idealized nature and harmonic apacile responding to the classic topic lous lso amoenus topics besides the revival of the landscaping clasidco manifested in the numerous quotes and motvios erecreacciones of characters and themes following the Greco-Roman mythology like the pagan pro k moemnto pervades the literature. New estrcutura rhythmic metric as important as the subject matter isthe formal renewal based on the adoption of metric rhythmic structures nuestvas italian home that deviate from the rhythm octosyllable with Bradley and Garcilaso de la Vega is definitely acclimatize the hendecasyllables Italian hendecasyllable alone or in combination with the new combination heptasyllabic strophic form . Panorama of the 16th century Castilian lyric first half of this ocuapda by Bosco and lso garsilaso and poets of the school called Italianate k are introducing new forms and themes Italians against traditional ESDP CCOM cristobal lso vallejo, in the second half the nueos remifican themes and forms in several large demonstrations ragos can be grouped into two trends a profane poetry whose themes is the platonic amro and ascetic mystical poetry in the k and the platonic love for nature like pagan ancestry elemntos become symbolic in fray luis de leon sculpture represents the poetics of Salamanca.A gentleman miebro profane poetry renaissance of a distinguished family of the plain garsilaso born in Toledo all his life developed in the field of cotrte the service of Emperor Charles 5 performance diplomatic missions participated in various events of weapon and visited more than uan see italy garsilazo embodies the cove ideal Renaissance gentleman n ek k aligning the arms and letters in his poetry, however, disregards the resonances of war and the activities of the courtier and man of the world to reflect only the verses of love you are expressing grief at a maor impossible. His literary poetics garsilaxo the prayer is brief three eclogues write five songs and sonnets guns lso forty centuries have considered a true master. The mystical poetry in the literature ascetic ascetic mystical religious tradition unite medieval and Renaissance spirituality nuva this literature describes the path of perfection the ascending scale that runs through the soul to reach the communion of God the Way of Purification when the soul through penance and be cleansed of sin laoraion and free of the passions, via illuminative elements carried by the alama lso example of saints and focused on the passion and redemption and the unitive way is a special grace k k KACE Enaje the soul and escape the world to achieve spiritual union with Christ is my first of common pathways with acetic and k msitica and while the other two are a priveliegio reserved exclusively for the mystics. His life and his personality was born in Belmonte in his life estubo 1527pro linked in Salamanca where he studied theology in 1572 was denounced by preferring inkisicion the Hebrew text of the Bible and the prohibition of pro Desai Trent translating biblical texts and languages romaneces was held for almost five years in the k he suffered all sorts of privations k in 1576 to return triumphantly to the university, Fray Luis was a man of wide culture of joy k great fame among his contemporaries and the admiration of his students was a controversial and passionate temperament k intervno in numerous disputes and confrontations. Works in prose and verse in his prose works are mixed Comentaris lso Bible and personal experiences and we constumbirstas ntoas detacar: the names of Christ com oasunto conversation three Augustinian friars, the perfect wife theFallas REATY virtues of Christian marriage, translation and commentary for the parallel sing songs and book exhibition job his poetry is very short. San Juan de la Cruz alservicio life of the Carmelite order in fontiberos national income in 1542 was very young in the Order of phoney yt salamanca study in harmony with the work underway at santa teresa de jesus undertook the reform of the Carmelite order in men’s with the restoration and foundation of monasteries in 1577 grudges and jealousy within the order led him to jail for eight months suffered done all kind of humiliation. san juan His literary work of the cross is one of the greatest poets of the Castilian tongue whose fame and esteem have been ups and downs his poems never prodigious expression is considered the feeling of love His poetry is short and has traditionally been classified into two major poems Dark night of the soul, canticle esperitual and flame of love alive in k expresses subnlima mystical experience. and minor poems ciecinueve number of which are also a manifestation of his highly original spiritual expreciencia.