The meaning of the word Renaissance is the rebirth or regeneration of a period. This period is called the Middle Ages and begins in the 14th century. The Renaissance is mainly characterized by the development of learning and thinking. This period also marked the discovery and exploration of new continents, the system of astronomy, the growth of trade and innovations in paper, printing, the compass, art, literature, mathematics and of science. During this period, it was primarily a revival where people learned, thought and invented new things after a long period of cultural decline. Some of the main concepts of this era were the belief in humanism, the ravishing art that captured this era, the influence of the Church, and the formation of the five city-states. The most important literary movement associated with the Renaissance was humanism. This was based on the classical written works of Greece and Rome, known as the New Learning. These works were repurposed so that individuals would be willing to be more liberal towards what was around them rather than the spiritual or divine and this is how humanism began to develop. Humanists who studied humanity such as grammar, rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy or ethics, and history all base themselves on ancient Greek and Roman authors. Humanism would not deny the existence of God because it was also close to the Catholic Church. There are two major factors behind the rise of humanism. First, after the decline of Rome, Italian scholars became fascinated by the sources found in Rome, which led them to find more Roman writings. Secondly, the influences of the Byzantine Empire, after their fall, people began to become more interested in classical Greece. ...... middle of article ...... Rather than a period with definitive beginnings and endings and consistent content between the two, the Renaissance can be seen as a movement of practices and ideas to which specific groups and identifiable people in different ways responded at different times and places. It would be in this network of diverse cultures, sometimes converging, sometimes conflicting, that the Renaissance forever changed our imagination and our vision of our world. Works Cited Burckhardt, Jacob. Renaissance civilization in Italy. London: Penguin, 1990.Print.Corrick, James. The Renaissance. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998.Print.Hinds, Kathryn. Daily life during the Renaissance. New York: Michelle Bisson, 2010.Print.Osman, Karen. The Italian Renaissance. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1996. Print. “Renaissance Art”. History.com. A+E Networks, 2010. Web. April 30 2014.