Comparison of the Medievil and Renaissance Eras
             It is amazing how significantly various aspects of society can and will change over
             a prolonged period of time. Between the time periods of the Medieval era and the
             Renaissance, one can note numerous significant changes, mainly those pertaining to art
             and religion. In general, ideals and subjects during the Renaissance became more secular.
             In Medieval times, people seemed to focus mainly on the church, God, and the afterlife;
             whereas during the Renaissance, the focus was more secular: humans and life on earth.
             Although these two eras differ in many ways, the most concentrated differences deal with
             the realms of architecture, painting, and philosophy.
             Architecture noticeably shifted from religious awe to classical reason between the
             Medieval era and the Renaissance. During the Middle Ages, architecture was aimed
             mainly at making advancements in the church. Medieval cathedrals had very distinct
             features, such as pointed spires, which were exactly that -- spires, or steeples, that were
             pointed and extended upward from the tower area; the rose window, which was a large
             stained glass window that was located on the front of the tower; and squared-off exterior
             walls, which were a contrast to the usual rounded exterior designs that people were
             accustomed to. Overall, cathedrals during this time could have very elegant features due
             to the excellent techniques of support and stabilization. Buttresses, simple extensions of
             the cathedral wall to enhance support, and flying buttresses, stone structures set away
             from the cathedral wall and attached at the top, contributed to the excellent support that
             Medieval cathedrals experienced. While architectural advancements during the Middle
             Ages were concerned mainly with making elegant reformations in the structure of the
             cathedral, architecture during the Renaissance was much less re...