Renaissance architecture is defined as a revival of classical Roman architectural forms and theory, replacing Gothic style through a return to the five classical orders (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, composite) and elements like the column, round arch, tunnel vault, and dome. Its central design principle is beauty achieved through mathematical proportion and measure rather than the Gothic aesthetic, a distinction that also gave rise to pictorial perspective. The style belongs to the discipline of architectural history and evolved internally over roughly two centuries through early, high, and late (mannerist) phases, each redefining how the underlying classical vocabulary was applied.
Renaissance architecture is defined as a revival of classical Roman architectural forms and theory, replacing Gothic style through a return to the five classical orders (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinth…