Renaissance

In the 15th century, an innovation enabled people to share knowledge more quickly and widely. Civilization never looked back.

An art historian and handwriting expert say a tiny signature on the work was scratched by Da Vinci. But experts say there's reason to doubt the claim.

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages.

Niccolo Machiavelli was a diplomat, politician and writer in Renaissance Italy whose most infamous quotes come from his books The Prince and The Art of War.

It was the highest price ever paid for a painting.

Research has revealed details the mysterious teenage orphan who gave birth to the world’s most famous artist.

Find out more about the Medici family, who encouraged the careers of such luminaries as Michelangelo and Galileo and whose members included popes, queens and a long line of dukes.

Nine surprising facts about the Renaissance artist often called “the Divine One.”

From Leonardo Da Vinci’s android to a French-made artificial duck, learn more about seven early mechanical wonders.

Over the years, scholars have debated the true inspiration behind the most famous half-smile in history—and possibly even the world’s most recognizable face. Proposed sitters for the “Mona Lisa” have included da Vinci’s mother Caterina, Princess Isabella of Naples, a Spanish noblewoman named Costanza d’Avalos and an unnamed courtesan, among others. Some of the more […]

The chapel's famous ceiling stands as one of the masterworks of the Italian Renaissance—and of world art.

Michelangelo was a sculptor, painter and architect widely considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. His works include the Sistine Chapel.

The Italian Renaissance in Context Fifteenth-century Italy was unlike any other place in Europe. It was divided into independent city-states, each with a different form of government. Florence, where the Italian Renaissance began, was an independent rep...

Known as the Renaissance, the period immediately following the Middle Ages in Europe saw a great revival of interest in the classical learning and values of ancient Greece and Rome. Its style and characteristics emerged in Italy in the late 14th century and persisted through the early16th century.

Leonardo da Vinci—architect, inventor, scientist and painter of the 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Last Supper'—was a major figure of the Italian Renaissance.

The Medici family was a powerful dynasty that ruled Florence, Italy, and soon spread their artistic and economic influence throughout Renaissance Europe.