The Renaissance challenged and reshaped European religion. Understanding the state of the Church, the condition of its institutions, and the Renaissance Papacy is essential for grasping broader cultural change.

The Church in c.1400

By the early fifteenth century, the Catholic Church was the dominant religious force in Western Europe, yet its institutions were under strain.

Structural Weaknesses

• The Great Schism (1378–1417), when rival popes claimed authority in Rome and Avignon, had undermined papal prestige.

A labelled map of the Western Schism (1378–1417) highlighting territories aligned with Rome and Avignon. It visually explains why papal authority looked fractured across Europe. Minor border details reflect standard historical mapping conventions and do not affect the core message. Source

• Local bishops often prioritised wealth and status over pastoral responsibility.

• Many monasteries had declined in spiritual rigour, with some accused of corruption or worldliness.

The sense of institutional decline was widespread, even while religious devotion among the laity remained strong. Pilgrimages, confraternities, and the cult of saints all demonstrated ongoing piety.

The Renaissance Papacy

The Renaissance Papacy (c.1417–1600) emerged after the end of the Great Schism. It was marked by a recovery of papal authority, but also by the blending of religious and worldly concerns.

Characteristics

• Political power: Popes sought to reassert control over the Papal States in Italy.

A 1494 map of Italy with the Papal States prominently indicated among other regional powers. It situates papal temporal rule in its geographic context at the dawn of the High Renaissance. The map includes other Italian polities (extra detail beyond the syllabus focus) to aid orientation. Source

• Artistic patronage: They commissioned grand works that celebrated both Christian faith and papal prestige, such as the rebuilding of St Peter’s Basilica.

A plan drawing for the new St Peter’s attributed to Bramante, showing the centralised, classical geometry favoured in early Renaissance church design. It illustrates how papal patronage translated humanist ideals into monumental architecture. The drawing includes technical drafting detail (extra beyond the syllabus) but remains clear and uncluttered. Source

• Humanism: Some popes embraced Renaissance learning, libraries, and classical texts, integrating these with Christian tradition.

Not all contemporaries welcomed this direction. Critics argued that papal luxury and militarism distracted from spiritual duties.

Attitudes of the Papacy to the Renaissance

The papal response to Renaissance culture was not uniform; different popes shaped the Church’s interaction with new ideas.

Embracing the Renaissance

• Nicholas V (1447–1455) promoted humanism and founded the Vatican Library.

• Julius II (1503–1513) sponsored Michelangelo and Raphael, leaving a profound cultural legacy.

• Leo X (1513–1521), a Medici pope, epitomised the union of humanist learning with papal magnificence.

Concerns and Tensions

• Some churchmen worried that classical revival undermined traditional theology.

• The use of papal funds for monumental projects provoked resentment, especially when linked to practices such as the sale of indulgences.

These tensions contributed to rising criticism that would later culminate in the Reformation.

The Wider Religious Landscape

While the papacy was powerful, religious institutions across Europe varied in their vitality.

Monasticism

• Some orders, such as the Benedictines, were seen as lax.

• Others, like the Observant Franciscans, sought to restore discipline and spiritual purity.

Parish Life

• Parish priests were central to ordinary religious life but were often poorly educated.

• Literacy reforms and the introduction of printing began to spread new ideas more widely.

Councils and Reform

The Council of Constance (1414–1418) ended the Great Schism but also highlighted growing demands for conciliar reform — the idea that a general council could be superior to the pope.

Although conciliarism declined by mid-century, it reflected broader anxieties about papal power.

Continuity and Change

Despite weaknesses, the Church remained central to European life. Baptism, marriage, and burial were inseparable from its authority. However, the Renaissance introduced new cultural currents:

• Humanism emphasised classical learning and moral improvement, encouraging reform-minded clergy to study early Christian texts.

• Artistic patronage allowed the Church to present itself as both guardian of tradition and sponsor of innovation.

• Education and printing spread religious knowledge, deepening lay engagement with scripture and devotional practices.

These forces meant that by c.1500 the Church was simultaneously experiencing renewal and criticism. The Renaissance Papacy embodied both grandeur and controversy, shaping the stage on which religious change would unfold.