Abstract
This project in its present form is the result of many researchers that the members of the team did, about the western culture in three different periods. The purpose of this project was to determinate the main characteristics about each period.
The characteristics for each period were determinate from the most important events and which ones are transcendental during that era.
Exists a lot of information about each period, that is why we had to summarize and an analysis all the events through history. Depending in each grade of importance, we could finally mention in the essay, those events that marked history.
Introduction to Cultures of The Western World
Western Culture is related to European Cultures background; this term is used from reference to religious beliefs, social norms, etnical values and traditions.
The Western Culture can be apply to the Graeco-Roman Classical and Reinassance cultural, ;ike literature,philosophy;It has the background of Germanic,Celtic,Latin and Hellenic Cultures. This term also covers countries which have European inmigration. Like the Australasia and the Americas.
According to the history, Western Culture has its origins in the Ancient Rome and the Ancient Greece. The western culture is mostly related to Graeco-Roman and Judeo-Christian, also has influence of the Reinassance and the Enlightment.
These are some examples of the Western cultural influence: oil painting, sonata, opera, concerto, symphony, and dance; also in sports has western influence, the Olympic Games were created by the Ancient Greek culture.
I would say that almost in every area of our life, have Western Culture background, like culture, music, paint, architecture, religion, government system, sports and etc.
The Middle Ages Period
The Middle ages or Medieval time. It was a period of time on the European Continent from the 5th to the 15th century; This term appeared for the first time in 1469.The middle ages was right after the fall of the Western Roman Empire; there are subdivisions on the middle ages; some historians divide the middle ages in two parts: high and low, the English speaking historians divide the middle ages in three sub periods: early(476-1000),high(1000-1300) and the late middle age(1300-1453).The middle ages historians divided the history in two periods: the Six Ages and the Four Empires; In the 19th century, the middle ages were named as dark ages and after the sub divisions of this period was named early middle ages; according to the Scandinavian history, the middle ages were after prehistory in the 11th century; and the prehistory of the middle ages in Estonia and Latvia was in the 13th century.
From the 5th to the 8th century the Germanic Tribes divided and the decentralized kingdoms like the Franks and Burgundians in Gaul Western Germany, The Vandals in North Africa, The Suevin in Gallaecia, The Ostrogoths in Italy, The Visigoths in Hispania and The Saxons in Britain.
On the period of the High Middle Age (1000-1300) the architecture was developed, the construction of churches and monasteries were an example of this architecture, the materials used on this constructions were stone and Roman brick. The Catholicism was the most important cultural influence in the middle ages, there were some regions populated mostly by Catholics; Bishops played an important role in those governments.
On the middle ages from the 11th to the 13th century were marked by the increase of population, military expansion and intellectual development. The period of the middle ages coincided with the period of the Islamic Golden Age; all their inventions had Greek and Roman background. The Hundred Years War was a conflict from (1337-1453) between France and England. This conflict was divided in 4 periods: The Edwardian War(1337-1360), The Caroline War (1369-1389), The Lancastian War(1415-1429) and the Decline of the English(1429-1453).
Martin Luther was not agree with some actions about the Catholicism; the problem was because the Catholics were raising money in order of the faith, Luther separated from the church in 1517, as a consequence of this action also the Calvinism and Anabaptism were created. All these actions put an end to the big influence of the Catholicism.
Some historians think that the en of the Middle Ages was The Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, others think the Fall of Muslim Granada in Spain, the Battle of Boswotrh Field(1485),the death of the King Ferdinand II, the invention of type printing by Johan Gutenberg 1455 or the Conquest of Granada 1492.
Italian Renaissance Period
This period began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe by the 16th century. Represents the transition between medieval and early Europe, marking the end of the middle Ages in this continent. The Italian renaissance happened just between the 14th century and the 17th century.. It was a new way of thinking and an exciting re-birth for Europe; it was an era when new inventions and amazing discoveries appeared, from new ways of inspiration, mostly by Greek and Rome. Also these inspirations influenced the creation of magnificent buildings and beautiful art. The Italian Renaissance is best known for its cultural achievements, and this occurred in the visual arts. As a result of this, artists had a new understanding of anatomy, which inspired them to carve nude figures, a similar case with paintings happened. A great example about this era was Michelangelo, a painter and sculptor, best known for two particular art works: he painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel in Rome (between 1508 -1512) commissioned by Pope Julius II, and for created the statue of David. Another very important and notable painter and inventor from this age was Leonardo da Vinci, who painted the masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Las Supper. He was also very interested in known how and why things worked, and studied engineering, anatomy and botany. The people during this era believed that human life was interesting and valuable, that is why a main characteristic here was the fact that they were very worried in develop all their talents.
This can happened because Italy was prosperous an international trading centre. Being the city of Florence the major cultural and artistic centre of the Italian Renaissance. The Italian Renaissance ended by the end of the 15th century when Italy was being finished by one war after another. The Roman Inquisition was established in 1545; in consequence humanism was akin to heresy. The Kings of England, France and Spain, battled for control the peninsula. Italian Renaissance was over.
The Reformation Period
To reform means a change, and that is what it happened to the church in the XVI century in the Western Europe. This movement separated the Christians into Protestants and Catholics. It is said that there was too much corruption in the church like sex, greed and abuse of control. The reformation came to dissolve these infringements.In England, the Reformation began because the king Henry VIII wanted the pope granted the divorce to marry Anne Boleyn. This was not allowed by the church and the pope would excommunicate him , which was a great fear in those days. So he ordered the Archbishop to approve their divorce in disagreement with the pope. Many were angered by these acts, but also were tired of the church charging them for baptism, marriage and other things. Henry took advantage of this. He ordered to close the monasteries who were the richest catholics in Europe. Henry now had more power than the pope.
In Germany, everything started because of Martin Luther. He wrote the 95 theses, these denounced the wealth and corruption of the church. His complaint was that the clergy were selling temporary forgiveness of sins, without clear to people that they could repent sincerely. Luther was excommunicated from the church, which began a series of wars. Then the reformation movement began to expand in the other countries. Another characters show up besides Lutero, like Juan Calvino. The Calvinism also was about the doctrine and in the Holy Communion. Calvino in 1536 wrote his first edition about his Institutes of Christian Religion, the first systematic study, treatment of the theology treatment of the reform movement.
In Switzerland Zwinglian lead the Swiss Reformation.
Then, during the seventeenth century reform spread throughout many countries in Europe, dominating Lutheranism in the North of Europe, Eastern Europe, had a variety of Protestantism because kings were weak, nobles strong, and religious pluralism has always existed.
Each of these Reformations divided up their countries people. All the reforms came with one purpose in spite of their differences and similarities; it was to remove all the sins, the abuse of power and the indulgences sold by the church of the pure word of God.
Conclusion
Through this work, it was consolidated the knowledge of the study of civilizations in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It was possible to approach the most important features and elements that characterized the Renaissance, as well as deepened in the results and significance of the Reformation.
Also taken into account Machiavelli's political thought represented by the importance of its time and its validity in the imperialist countries to justify genocidal policies.
Therefore, the Renaissance transformed not only the arts but also the sciences, letters and forms of thought. Besides the Reformation introduced the idea of freedom of conscience against the civil power.
References
