The Renaissance

The Renaissance was an intellectual and artistic movement focused around the rebirth of classical knowledge. It is also considered by many to mark the "birth" of the modern world. This movement began in the Italian city-states and spread to northern Europe over time. Some of the best-known visual artists during that time were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo while Shakespeare provided the sonnets, plays, and essays for people to read. Erasmus was a major proponent of humanism, an intellectual movement which focused on individualism and human potential. This was very different from the majority of thinkers during the Middle Ages who were mostly concerned with religious ideas. Erasmus also seriously criticized the Catholic Church and its practices, which he viewed as increasingly corrupt. His critiques of the church contributed to the Protestant Reformation.

This period saw one of the most important inventions in the history of man -- the printing press. The resulting spread of books, like Erasmus' The Praise of Folly, had numerous effects on society. This invention helped raise literacy rates and spread ideas across territories and cultures. The first book that Gutenberg printed on his revolutionary device was the Bible. This would have great repercussions for the Catholic Church and all of Europe.