European History

AP European History Study Guide The Renaissance *The Causes of the Renaissance* - The Middle Ages, which began around 500 AD, finally came to an end around 1450 AD. - Though the beginning of the Renaissance, which signaled the end of the Middle Ages, occurred in the city-states of Italy, the same reasons that caused the Renaissance to begin in Italy caused it to appear in the rest of Western Europe. - The conditions that led to the Renaissance in Italy are as follows: Because of the Crusades, and the new trade routes, Europeans began to come in contact with other, more advanced civilizations, which influenced them greatly. The Church, due to the scandals that occurred, lost much of its power, and people began to doubt its ultimate authority.