How did the Renaissance change Europe?

The Renaissance (14th-17th century) was a cultural rebirth that transformed European art, science, and thought. Started in Italian city-states (Florence, Venice, Rome). Key changes: Art moved from flat medieval style to realistic perspective (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael). Science embraced observation and experimentation (Galileo, Copernicus — heliocentrism). Humanism emerged — focus on human potential rather than purely religious themes. The printing press (Gutenberg, 1440) spread ideas rapidly across Europe, fueling literacy and the Reformation.