The Portuguese Renaissance refers to the cultural and artistic movement in Portugal during the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries.
Though the movement coincides with the Spanish and Italian Renaissances, the Portuguese Renaissance is largely separate from other European Renaissances and instead is important in opening Europe to the unknown and bringing a more worldly view to those European Renaissances, as at this time the Portuguese Empire spans the globe.
As the pioneer of Age of Discoveries, Portugal flourishes in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, with voyages to India, the Orient, the Americas, and Africa.
This immense trade network creates a wealthy Portuguese nobility and monarchy that serve as patrons for a flourishing of culture, arts, and technology in Portugal and throughout the civilized the world.
