The Renaissance was a period of European history from the 14th to the 17th century that promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art. It is widely understood that the word Renaissance is a French term meaning “rebirth”. Renaissance thinkers considered the Middle Ages to have been a period of cultural decline and sought to revitalize their culture through re-emphasizing classical texts and philosophies. The Renaissance was a time of transition from the ancient world to the modern and provided the foundation for the birth of the Age of Enlightenment. The Renaissance was a rebirth of classical antiquity from ancient Greece and Rome. The art of the Italian Renaissance revived ideas from ancient Greek and Roman art, particularly the emphasis on naturalism and human anatomy. The Renaissance was a revolutionary period of European artistic, cultural, economic, and political rebirth after the dark Middle Ages. The Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art and is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.