Ushering in a revival of ancient Greek and Romanclassicalarchitectural forms, it supplanted the prevailing Gothic medieval aesthetic.
What Is Renaissance Architecture?
It produced multi-disciplinary giants including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
St Peter’s Basilicajoe daniel price / Getty Images
The lasting cultural legacy of the Renaissance makes it one of the most transformative periods in western history.
It evolved over the next 200 years as it spread throughout Italy and then Europe.
Renaissance architects didn’t simply want to reproduce the past.
Marciana Library, Venice, Italyrobodread / Getty Images
Early Renaissance
Renaissance architecture is generally broken down into three main periods.
It started with the Early Renaissance that began around 1400 when architects looked to antiquity for inspiration.
They reintroduced classical Roman andGreekelements, such as arches, columns, and domes into buildings.
Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, Florence, ItalyGianni Pasquini / EyeEm/ Getty Images
Baroque Period
Renaissance architecture was followed by the emergence of theBaroqueperiod around 1600.
Its guiding principles continue to influence architects, artists, and thinkers to this day.
It also incorporated geometry, and many building plans were symmetrical squares.
Dome, Vatican City, Rome, ItalyKenneth Bagge Jørgensen / EyeEm / Getty Images
Air and Light
Early Renaissance buildings focused on bringing in air and light to the space.
This was a nod to the dawning of Renaissance ideals and thought.
Construction of the cathedral began in the Gothic period in 1296 and was completed in 1436.
Nico Tondini / Getty Images
And it influenced many religious buildings in Italy and around the world.
Today it is a museum and the seat of the Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy.
Three of the most prominent features of Renaissance architecture are columns, arches, and domes.
P Deliss / Getty Images
Cristi Croitoru / Getty Images
Massimo Borchi / Getty Images
