Ilardo Renaissance Timeline

Giotto completes his work on the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua

Jan 1, 1305

Scrovegni Chapel in Padua is one of the most famous Proto-Renaissance masterpieces. Decorated by Giotto di Bondone was completed in 1305 for the Enrico Scrovegni family. The frescoes adorning the walls and ceiling of the chapel relate a complex, emotional narrative on the lives of Mary and Jesus.

Dante writes his epic poem the Divine Comedy

Jan 1, 1308

The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri. It is about a trip through the afterlife. The poem is about the travels of a man through Christian hell, purgatory, and heaven.

The first great humanist, Petrarch, is named the poet laureate of Rome

Jan 1, 1341

Petrarch was born in the Tuscan town of Arezzo, where his family had taken refuge after being exiled from Florence for supporting the same unsuccessful faction espoused by Dante, who was banished at the same time. During this period the papal court had removed itself to Avignon in Provence to escape the chronic anarchy into which Rome had sunk.

Ilardo Renaissance Timeline

Period: Jan 1, 1350 to Dec 31, 1600

A timeline of the Renaissance and the impact on Europe.

Architect Brunelleschi designs the dome for the Florence Cathedral

Jan 1, 1419

When it was designed, it was the largest dome in the world. This immediately created problems as its size prevented the traditional method of construction. Its structure is a double shell supported by sturdy pillars.

Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press

Jan 1, 1450

The first ever printing press was invented around 1439. But then two other, better kinds of the printing press were created. The printing press allowed manuscripts to be mass-produced at relatively affordable costs.

The Ottoman Empire captures the city of Constantinople, signaling an end to the Byzantine Empire

Jan 1, 1453

The conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. Byzantine Empire were gone when the Ottomans breached Constantinople's ancient land wall after threatening the city for 55 days.

Leonardo da Vinci and the Gutenberg Bible

Oct 22, 1454

Leonardo da Vinci invented two better creations of the printing press. There would not be any copies of the Gutenberg Bible if it was not for Leonardo making the printing press better to be able to use. The printing press is a machine that can create copies of papers for example, the Gutenberg Bible.

Lorenzo de Medici becomes head of the city-state of Florence. He is one of the great patrons of the arts

Jan 1, 1469

Lorenzo was the leader of the Florence merchants. His son, Cosimo de Medici became the leader of the Florence city-state. But now, the Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts.

The Age of Exploration

Jan 1, 1476

Also know as the Age of Discovery, officially began in the early 15th century and lasted through the 17th century. The period is characterized as a time when Europeans began exploring the world by sea in search of new trading routes, wealth, and knowledge.

Henry VII becomes king of England beginning the reign of the House of Tudor

Jan 1, 1485

Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

Botticelli completes the painting The Birth of Venus

Jan 1, 1486

The Birth of Venus is one of the world's most famous and appreciated works of art. The painting has become a landmark of XV century Italian painting. The painting shows the triumphant Goddess of Love and Beauty.

Explorer Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas

Jan 1, 1492

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. He stumbled upon the Americas instead of finding a water route west from Europe to Asia. He was an Italian explorer.

The Rise of Rome and the de Medici Family

Apr 21, 1494

The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. They were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy.

Leonardo da Vinci paints the Last Supper

Jan 1, 1495

The Last Supper is a late 15th-century mural painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings. The painting is located at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.

Vasco da Gama arrives in India after sailing around the southern tip of Africa from Portugal

Jan 1, 1498

Vasco da Gama sailed around the southern tip of Africa. He had pioneered a sea route from Europe to Asia that bypassed the Muslim nations that controlled the overland spice trade. He and his pioneers wanted to explore for more land.

Michelangelo begins his work on the sculpture David

Jan 1, 1501

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created in marble by the Italian artist Michelangelo.

Politics and the Reformation

Jan 1, 1501

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era

Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa

Jan 1, 1503

The Mona Lisa was painted in Florence, Italy by Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci took it to France. It was acquired by King Francois I after da Vinci's death.

Michelangelo begins his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine ChapelI

Jan 1, 1508

Its importance in the history of art cannot be overstated. This is one of the most inspirational paintings to young artists. Michelangelo returned to the chapel twenty years later to execute the Last Judgment fresco on the altar wall.

Martin Luther Nails the 95 Theses on the Door of the Wittenberg Church

Oct 31, 1517

Martin Luther challenges the traditional practices of the church and Pope Leo X. Luther believed that a person's wealth should not impact their status in the after life.

The Peace of Augsburg

Jan 1, 1555

Also know as the Augsburg Settlement, was a treaty between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and the Schmalkaldic League, signed in September 1555 at the imperial city of Augsburg.