The Renaissance was a period of time.
The early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages of the post-classical era . The history of Europe covers the peoples inhabiting Europe from prehistory to the present . The Renaissance ( [ rᵻˈneɪsəns ] , [ rɛnəˈsɑːns ] ) was a period in European history , from the 14th to the 17th century , regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history . It started as a cultural movement in Italy in the Late Medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe , marking the beginning of the Early Modern Age .