Renaissance architecture

Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic architecture and was succeeded by Baroque architecture and neoclassical architecture.

Developed first in Florence, with Filippo Brunelleschi as one of its innovators, the Renaissance style quickly spread to other Italian cities. The style was carried to other parts of Europe at different dates and with varying degrees of impact. It began in Florence in the early 15th century and reflected a revival of classical Greek and Roman principles such as symmetry, proportion, and geometry. This movement was supported by wealthy patrons, including the Medici family and the Catholic Church, who commissioned works to display both religious devotion and political power. Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, and later Andrea Palladio revolutionized urban landscapes with domes, columns, and harmonious facades. While Renaissance architecture flourished most in Italy, its influence spread across Europe reaching France, Spain, and the Low Countries adapting to local traditions. Public buildings, churches, and palaces became symbols of civic pride and imperial strength, linking humanism with empire-building.

Renaissance style places emphasis on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts, as demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and in particular ancient Roman architecture, of which many examples remained.