The emergence of the Renaissance Movement in Italy took place in the 15th century in Florence when the thought hit several artists that culture, art, architecture and civilization that suffered a drawback in the middle ages can be made to revive the glory of the past. Renaissance literally means ‘rebirth’

Filippo Brunelleschi takes the credit for having fuelled the Art Renaissance Movement in Italy though he is not the most famous name connected with it. He was an architect by profession and was responsible for laying down the scientific laws of perspective based on which the Renaissance Art in Italy flowered later.

Art of Italy had always been two-dimensional apart from the exploits of Giotto di Bondone, an influential participant in the Christian Art Movement in Italy in the 13th century.

The fact that Italian artists were able to make a notable progress in the development of art by making a good use of the laws of perspective made Renaissance Art from Italy more important. Understandably Renaissance Art was creating glorious art in Italy that reflected nature and the world in reality.

During the ancient Roman period, art in Italy was more a tool of the state and it dealt with only religious subjects under the favour of the Catholic Church. It was renaissance art that really opened out the scope of art in Italy. Though religious themes dominated the renaissance art in Italy, nature and the description of the world in reality found placement in the renaissance art in the later period.

In this time anatomy became the forte of numerous renaissance artists in Italy and hence human form was delineated to nicety by them in their work. The statue of St. George in Italy, a magnum opus of Donatello is a sample of renaissance art in Italy.

Renaissance touched its summit during the 16th century in Italy. The country contributed pieces of matchless quality. Contemporaries like Michelangelo, De Vinci and Raphael formed the core of the renaissance art movement in Italy.

These Renaissance artists became so popular in their time that they were in demand in the various cities of Italy whose officialdom and heads of state wanted them to create works of art in their places.

Art in Italy can no longer be described as religious in whole because it is no longer the preserve of the church to direct such things in a secular state. However, there are still Italian artists who deal with Christian themes. One such artist is Giacomo Manza who has been influential in the field of Christian sculpture during the 20th Century. The Bronze door of St Peter’s Basilica was created by Manza.

Renaissance sculpture in Italy is the finest on the planet. If you would like to view some good examples, read our page on things to do in Pisa.