Neo-Renaissance Architecture

Neo-Renaissance architecture emerged in the 19th century as part of the broader historicist movement, which sought to revive and reinterpret past architectural styles. Drawing primarily from the forms and motifs of 15th and 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, the Neo-Renaissance was characterized by symmetrical façades, rounded arches, classical columns, and richly ornamented cornices. Unlike the original Renaissance, which was rooted in humanist ideals and archaeological study, the 19th-century revival often served institutional, civic, and bourgeois aspirations, with prominent examples including museums, banks, and governmental buildings.