In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Western Europe underwent dramatic changes in the political, social, cultural, religious and economic spheres. Petrarch's Canzoniere, Martin Luther's 'Ninety-five Theses' and Prince Henry's Navigation School heralded the dawn of the modern era. The Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Church became weak; in their place came nation states, new Churches that emphasised individual faith, and a commercial revolution based on mercantilism. The modern era was marked by freedom of thought, individualism, rationalism, and economic and scientific progress.
1. Causative Factors
Growth of Trade and Rise of Towns
- With the decline of Feudalism, Europe moved towards urbanisation, first in Italy because of its prosperous Mediterranean trade.
- Arabs brought spices from the east to the Mediterranean ports; Italian city-states like Venice and Genoa profited immensely, and banking and financial institutions developed in Italy.