Renaissance architecture is European architecture between the early 15th and

early 17th centuries. It demonstrates a conscious revival and development of

certain elements of classical thought and material culture , particularly
symmetry and classical orders. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture came
after the Gothic period and was succeeded by the Baroque . During the High
Renaissance , architectural concepts derived from classical antiquity were
developed and used with greater surety.

The most representative architect of Italian Renaissance Architecture is

Bramante (1444–1514), who developed the applicability of classical
architectural elements to contemporary buildings, a style that was to dominate
Italian architecture in the 16th century. In the late 15th century and early 16th
century architects such as Bramante, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, and
others showed a mastery of the revived style and ability to apply it to buildings
such as churches and city palazzos, which were quite different from the
structures of ancient times. Although studying and mastering the details of the
ancient Romans was one of the important aspects of Renaissance architectural
theory, the style also became more decorative and ornamental, with a
widespread use of statuary, domes, and cupolas.

Forms and Purposes of Buildings

Renaissance architecture adopted obvious distinguishing features of classical

Roman architecture. However, the forms and purposes of buildings had
changed over time, as had the structure of cities, which is reflected in the
resulting fusion of classical and 16th century forms. The plans of Renaissance
buildings typically have a square, symmetrical appearance in which proportions
are usually based on a module. The primary features of 16th century structures,
which fused classical Roman technique with Renaissance aesthetics, were
based in several foundational architectural concepts: facades, columns and
pilasters, arches, vaults, domes, windows, and walls.

Renaissance façades are symmetrical around their vertical axis. For instance,
church façades of this period are generally surmounted by a pediment and
organized by a system of pilasters, arches, and entablatures . The columns and
windows show a progression towards the center. One of the first true
Renaissance façades was the Cathedral of Pienza (1459–62), which has been
attributed to the Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as
Rossellino).