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this video is brought to you by
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captivating history
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after a series of tragedies known as the
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crisis of the late middle ages
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including events such as the great
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famine and black death
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came a period of explosive social and
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cultural development this period
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left such a mark on the history of
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europe that it still shapes much of our
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modern world today
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known as the renaissance this period
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takes its name from the french word for
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rebirth
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considering the cavalcade of disasters
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that befell europe after the fall of the
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roman empire
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nothing could describe the renaissance
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better than a complete rebirth of europe
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considering the darkness it sprung out
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of you might be wondering just how this
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miraculous period came about or how long
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it lasted
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we're here to answer those questions and
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a lot more you didn't even know you had
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about the renaissance
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this topic comprises hundreds of years
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of history
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this video should be considered a crash
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course of some of the most
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need to know info about the renaissance
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we must consider rome first the roman
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empire was spread throughout europe
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asia and even parts of africa lasting
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from around 700 bc
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to around 1400 a.d over 2
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000 years as rome spread far and wide
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the emperors like caesar exerted
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relentless control of the local tribes
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native cultures were weeded out
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constantly replaced with what the romans
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believed was a superior way of life
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the roman focus on infrastructure aided
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this
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they paved roads built bridges and
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enabled free movement of people
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goods and even ideas all things end
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though
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and once rome fell all of those things
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declined with the empire bit by bit
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food shortages began famines hit much of
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europe
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and small kingdoms that occupied the
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roman power vacuum
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watched each other with intense
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uneasiness
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while the plague decimated populations
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it also freed up capital for the
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aristocracy to invest in fine arts and
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scholarly pursuits
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a lot of things were happening in
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florence around this time
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even during the plague great efforts
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were undertaken such as creating the
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gates of paradise
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a set of glorious bronze doors set into
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the florence baptistry
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hoping they might encourage god to go
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easy on florence in terms of the plague
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unfortunately the black death continued
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to spread the people of florence tried
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everything from strong perfume to pills
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made of rose hips to fight the disease
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as this all went down the dark ages
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seemed like they might never go away
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while the dark ages can be said to have
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begun in italy with the fall of rome
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we can thank the people of florence for
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the beginning of the renaissance
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what's so special about florence though
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about halfway between rome and milan
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florence was one of the most robust
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sites of trade and commerce in europe
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the old roads that had broken down with
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the fall of rome were recovered near
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milan
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and new routes were established that
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solidified florence's role as an
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international power player
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aiding this consolidation of influence
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was the reintroduction of a gold-based
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currency
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the florin with rome's collapse the most
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common international currencies had been
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missing for around 500 years
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and this new currency brought trade from
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all over the world
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the florentines even created a new form
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of bookkeeping
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that helped them corner ancient stock
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markets
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the wealth pouring into florence created
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something new and exciting
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the european middle class these were
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people with disposable income
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not burdened with constant labor or
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deaths young people across florence once
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again turn their sights to pursuing art
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and philosophy
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even the natural sciences painting
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sculpture
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glass work poetry architecture and more
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forms of expression all found a new life
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in florence around this time
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the first collections of humanist
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philosophy were written
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marking a distinct change in the
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attitude of people living in this age
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the idea that you should show faith in
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people's ability to know right from
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wrong
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and make better choices through better
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education emerged
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thanks to francesco petrarca a devout
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catholic who sought to unify the ideas
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of humanism and christianity
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his works were so influential and
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widespread that he was honored as an
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official poet of rome
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complete with a laurel wreath as men
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like petrarch explored the subtler
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details of human experience
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others appeared who wielded their own
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sets of artistic skills
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people like giotto di bandoni created
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works such as the life of christ
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moving the popular styles of paintings
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away from the byzantine era's sharp
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angularity toward natural forms and
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rhythms
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far away from italy the dutch were
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experimenting with oil paints
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dutch artists like jan von ick worked on
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mixing linseed oil with their pigments
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instead of fast drying egg whites
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gorgeous renderings of realism and
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vibrant color began to be produced with
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this slow drying medium
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works like the adoration of the lamb
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helped cement him as one of the most
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influential creators of the century
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the end of the 15th century birthed the
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careers of some of the very most
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influential people of the 1400s
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whose works you may be familiar with
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born in 1452
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leonardo da vinci was provided the
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perfect set of circumstances to grow
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into a master artist
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scientist and excessively talented
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polymeth
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the ottomans finally conquered
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constantinople a year after his birth
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sending greeks and refugees of war
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westward into the greater european
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continent
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bringing goods and ideas with them a
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year after that
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a critical development took place the
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printing press was used to create the
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gutenberg bible
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a mass-produced literary work that
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opened the door to expanding european
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literacy to unheard of levels
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the medici family assumed power in
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florence with lorenzo the magnificent
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medici
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bringing about the highest point of the
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florentine renaissance
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da vinci studied in florence under
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andrea del varaccio and learned
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sculpture and how to work with precious
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metals during this golden age
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a year after lorenzo the magnificent
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took office da vinci began his
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professional career
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which would give rise to some of the
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most famous artworks of all time
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the mona lisa the last supper and the
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vitruvian man
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all hint at the incredible anatomical
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and medical illustrations da vinci
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eventually produced
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of the main innovations of the 15th
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century exploration was one of the most
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important
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sailors made some of the most
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groundbreaking discoveries in the last
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quarter of the 1400s
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columbus reached the bahamas in 1492.
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and vasco de gama doing what columbus
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set out to do by reaching
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india in 1498. a year later at the turn
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of the century
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wars that had broken out near the end of
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the 1400s saw france conquering milan
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and bringing a treasure trove of italian
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art and ideas
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spilling into france though rome had
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fallen before the black death
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the turn of the 16th century saw julius
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ii
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ascended to the papacy which heralded
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the beginning of the roman golden age
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half a decade later henry viii assumed
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power in england
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which set the stage for the reformation
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a spiritual movement that forever
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divided the european continent
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earlier humanist thinking influenced the
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schism as did the sacking of rome
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which prevented henry viii's divorce
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from catherine varga
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in the mid 16th century tensions caused
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by the reformation were eased by the
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ascent of elizabeth tudor to the english
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throne
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this brought about england's own golden
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age which brought about education
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reforms that saw the enlightenment of
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the renaissance continue in england
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who spread her influence to fill some of
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the power void left by the end of the
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italian wars
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and brought europe into a new age the
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rapid changes taking place
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over this extended time frame offers
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many lessons for us
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early investments in the arts and
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sciences help to bring europe out of a
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seemingly
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endless period of darkness a far more
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thorough treatise is available if you'd
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like to learn more about the renaissance
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check out our book the renaissance a
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captivating guide to a remarkable period
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in european history
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including stories of people such as
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galileo galilei
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michelangelo copernicus shakespeare and
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leonardo da vinci it's available as an
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ebook
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paperback and audiobook also grab your
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free mythology bundle ebook for free
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while they're still available
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all links are in the description if you
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enjoyed the video
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