15th–16th centuriesReputable sourceWell documented
Renaissance Architecture
On the timeline · around 15th–16th centuries · Cathedrals & the Renaissance
What happened
Inspired by the ruins of ancient Rome, Renaissance architects revived classical columns, proportions, and domes. In Florence, Filippo Brunelleschi crowned the cathedral with a vast dome that no one knew how to build; later Palladio's harmonious villas and the new St Peter's Basilica in Rome spread the classical revival across Europe.
Why it matters
Renaissance architecture consciously reconnected with the classical past and made the architect a celebrated artist. Its principles of proportion, symmetry, and the dome shaped Western building — from palaces to the U.S. Capitol — for centuries.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Renaissance Architecture · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Renaissance → — The classical revival of Brunelleschi and Palladio