Renaissance ‘the period of new growth of interest and activity in the areas of art, literature, and ideas in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries’ (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019) saw a rebirth and renewal of attitude and perspective. People started to question law, humanities and human sciences. The Renaissance was the age of multi-talented people, it was the age of creating, questioning, learning and sharing new information.
Much like the Renaissance Period, Silicon Valley is renowned for new ideas, research and innovation. ‘For many people Silicon Valley is a global hub for technological innovation, where hundreds of companies call it home. It is also known for being a centre for innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and a lifestyle founded on technologically based wealth.’ (Segal, 2023)
Despite hundreds of years separating the Renaissance Period and the rise of Silicon Valley, the two share parallels of enlightening progressiveness. The Renaissance Period saw the birth of theory, rational inquiry, scientific progress, and the belief that sharing knowledge could improve society. These ideas would be at the forefront of Silicon Valley’s technological advances.
‘Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and the invention of the mechanical movable type printing press helped disseminate knowledge wider and faster than ever before. German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg is credited with inventing the printing press around 1436’ (Nnajiofor-Uyi, 2022)
‘We have the internet, but the Renaissance had the printing press. Gutenberg printed and sold his first Bibles in 1455; for the first time, information spread out of churches and schools. They had the same concerns we do: would this new “technology” change brains and society for the worse or would it free the world from the powers of the elite?’ (Storey, 2019)
In many ways, the technology boom of the twentieth century is a modern example of Renaissance progressiveness. Both the Silicon Valley and The Renaissance were driven by innovation and fueled by curiosity of reshaping the future. Whilst The Renaissance was a renewal of human potential through art and science, Silicon Valley is a renewal of human potential through technology and digital innovation.
‘In renaissance Europe, it was the invention of the printing press and the evolution of small, affordable books that created an information revolution. In Silicon Valley, it has been the invention of the personal computer and the evolution of the Internet that has created a new information revolution.’ (Valley, 2025)
‘The leaders of the Valley are truly creating a new Renaissance. We are living in one of those rare eras of significant change, when economic upheaval meets societal dislocation. Looking back, this time will probably interest historians just as much as the Enlightenment’ (Kanellos, 2015)
Both periods saw an explosion of innovation and profound breakthroughs, which would alter the way humans lived. The Renaissance period made the greatest adaptions in terms of architecture, mathematics and the sharing of information, and The Silicon valley in terms of rapid advances in computers, the internet and Artificial intelligence. ‘The Internet and Silicon Valley have no doubt changed the world. And our artists, scientists and inventors are stepping up to create new avenues in medicine, the arts, travel, communications… Is this modern-day explosion of invention a result of our cultural climate being similar to the Renaissance?’ (Storey, 2019)
If you have further interest in this subject there are more parallels to draw! A video to further explain the parallels linking the Silicon Valley and The Renaissance Period can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZOTtIR8GU
References
Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). RENAISSANCE | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge.org. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/renaissance
Kanellos, M. (2015). A silicon Renaissance. CNET. https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/a-silicon-renaissance/
Nnajiofor-Uyi, J. (2022, December 22). 7 WAYS THE PRINTING PRESS CHANGED THE WORLD. Printers Digest. https://printersdigest.com.ng/7-ways-the-printing-press-changed-the-world/
Segal, T. (2023, August 17). Silicon Valley: Definition, Where Is It and What It’s Famous For. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/siliconvalley.asp
storey, S. (2019, October 10). 10 Ways Our World is Like the Renaissance. Stephanie Storey. https://stephaniestorey.com/blog/10-ways-our-world-is-like-the-renaissance
Valley, S. (2025). Silicon Valley Historical Association. Silicon Valley Historical Association. https://www.siliconvalleyhistorical.org/renaissance-connection
Figures
Figure 1: Michael Angelo. Artist from the Renaissance periodhttps://www.througheternity.com/en/blog/art/michelangelo-masterpieces-in-rome.html
Figure 2: Mona Lisa. Art from the Renaissance period
https://www.pariscityvision.com/en/paris/museums/louvre-museum/the-mona-lisa-history-and-mystery
Figure 3: Silicon Valley, Located in San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2018/09/silicon-valley-can-do-more-to-achieve-the-globalgoals/
Figure 4: The Printing Press from the Renaissance Period
https://printersdigest.com.ng/7-ways-the-printing-press-changed-the-world/
