Renaissance architecture, style of architecture, reflecting the rebirth of

Classical culture, that originated in Florence in the early 15th century and

spread throughout Europe, replacing the medieval Gothic style. There was
a revival of ancient Roman forms, including the column and round arch, the
tunnel vault, and the dome. The basic design element was the order.
Knowledge of Classical architecture came from the ruins of ancient
buildings and the writings of Vitruvius. As in the Classical period, proportion
was the most important factor of beauty; Renaissance architects found a
harmony between human proportions and buildings. This concern for
proportion resulted in clear, easily comprehended space and mass, which
distinguishes the Renaissance style from the more complex Gothic. Filippo
Brunelleschi is considered the first Renaissance architect. Leon Battista
Alberti’s Ten Books on Architecture, inspired by Vitruvius, became a bible
of Renaissance architecture. From Florence the early Renaissance style
spread through Italy. Donato Bramante’s move to Rome ushered in the
High Renaissance (c. 1500–20). Mannerism, the style of the Late
Renaissance (1520–1600), was characterized by sophistication,
complexity, and novelty rather than the harmony, clarity, and repose of the
High Renaissance. The Late Renaissance also saw much architectural
theorizing, with Sebastiano Serlio (1475–1554), Giacomo da
Vignola (1507–73), and Andrea Palladio publishing influential books.