The Italian Renaissance was the earliest manifestation of the European Renaissance. The Renaissance was a great time of change in Italy, especially for the arts.
Literature and Poetry
Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527)
Before the Renaissance, the Italian language was not the literary language in Italy; it wasn't until the 13th century that Italian authors began writing in Italian rather than Latin, French, or Provencal. One of these authors was Niccolo Machiavelli. He wrote the revolutionary story The Prince and Renaissance Man. Another famous author during the Renaissance was Giovanni Boccaccio, who became famous for his controversial and vivid stories.
Sculpture and Painting
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Painting started to become a big deal in Florence and Tuscany, Italy, during the Renaissance because of artists such as Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, and Paolo Uccello. The began using a new painting technique which allowed the artist to paint three dimensions in two dimensional art more authentically. This technique was thought of as revolutionary, much like the techniques of sfumato and chiaroscuro, which were later made by one of the most famous artists of all time, Leonardo da Vinci, and Giorgione.
Architecture
Leon Battista Alberti's monument in Rimini
The Renaissance style of architecture was first introduced in Florence, Italy, with an incomplete monument in Rimini by Leon Battista Alberti. It was later introduced to Rome with Donato Bramante's Tempiette at San Pietro in Montorio. One of the most famous Renaissance style buildings is St. Peter's Basilica.
Famous Art Made During the Renaissance
"David"
"Mona Lisa"
"Crucifix"
"The Vitruvian Man"
"Cristo della Minerva"
"Pieta"
"The Last Supper"
"The Creation of Man" (Fragment of the Sistine Chapel ceiling)