The Northern Renaissance

By the late A.D. 1400s the Renaissance was in full swing in the Italian Peninsula. As a result of the Renaissance, the Italian economy had grown stronger, and the living standards of those in the region had been greatly improved.

As other people in Western Europe visited Italy they became fascinated with their ways of life, their culture, art, literary works, and customs.

In A.D. 1494 the French invaded Italy. They brought a number of Italian artists and scholars back to France. Among them was an artist by the name of Leonardo Da Vinci.

The French hired these artists to paint beautiful masterpieces for their palaces and public building. They hired the scholars to teach their children, and improve their educations.

Soon many other monarchies including the English, Spanish, Germany, and even as far away as the Netherlands were actively employing humanists in their courts to help improve life. They adopted many of the beliefs of the humanists in Italy, but also modified them to suit their own needs and circumstances.