Renaissance
Many argue that the ideas characterizing the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th-century Florence, in particular with the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Petrarch (1304–1374), as well as the paintings of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337). Some writers date the Renaissance quite precisely; one proposed starting point is 1401, when the rival geniuses Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi competed for the contract to build the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral (Ghiberti won). Others see more general competition between artists and polymaths such as Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Masaccio for artistic commissions as sparking the creativity of the Renaissance. Yet it remains much debated why the Renaissance began in Italy, and why it began when it did. Accordingly, several theories have been put forward to explain its origins.
Renaissance reenactment
Renaissance reenactment is historical reenactment of events of the Renaissance period and the European Age of Exploration. In its broadest use, it encompasses reenactment of periods from 1400 through the mid-18th century. Reenactments of earlier events are commonly termed medieval reenactment, while more recent events are modern reenactment. Events and periods within Renaissance reenactment vary by region and nation, but include the English Civil War in the United Kingdom, the Eighty Years' War in the Low Countries (particularly the Netherlands), L'Escalade in Switzerland, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in eastern Europe, and the early colonial period in the United States and Canada.