答案:【计分规则】: Renaissance is commonly applied to the movement in Europe that marks the transition from the medieval to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th century. It first started in Italy, with the flowering of painting, sculpture and literature. From Italy the movement went to embrace the rest of Europe.(2分) Renaissance, which means rebirth, is usually regarded as the result of a new emphasis upon the newly discovered Greek and Roman classics and the combination of a newly interpreted Christian tradition and an admired tradition of pagan culture. (3分) The movement was stimulated by a series of historical events, such as the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman culture, the new discoveries in geography and astronomy, the religious reformation, and the economic expansion. (2分) Therefore, Renaissance, in essence, is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, and to recover the purity of the early Christianity from the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. (3分)