Example Illustrated: St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy

See the image with the façade of Corinthian columns and a triangular pediment above; in front of the large central dome. (St. Peter’s Basilica was constructed by Renaissance and Baroque masters and some maintain that the exterior is Renaissance while the interior and spatial layout feels like Baroque.)

The Renaissance was the “age of awakening” in Italy, France, and England. The resultant architecture represented a revival of ancient Roman forms, including the column and round arch, the barrel vault, and the dome. Architects and builders were inspired by the carefully proportioned buildings of ancient Greece and Rome. Proportion was an important factor of beauty and Renaissance architects found a harmony between human proportions and buildings. The classical principles of proportion, symmetry and repetition, along with supportive color were used to create an environment of serenity to put the observer at ease rather than to uplift the emotions (as in Gothic). The Renaissance construction was executed under the instruction of a small number of individuals leading to more control over the process than was present in the Gothic period resulting in more uniform designs.