Was there such a thing as a twelfth-century renaissance?

by CalpolFiend
AlviseFalier

Yes and no. Economic growth and political stability are cyclical, so a whole bunch of time periods can be called a "Renaissance." Past historians have called the reign of the Ottonian Emperors in the eleventh century a renaissance, the reign Charlemagne in the eight century a renaissance, the reign of Emperor Justinian in the sixth century a renaissance... you get my gist.

Certainly, the reigns of Philip Augustus in France and Frederick Barbarossa in Germany can be dressed up to sound like a "renaissance." However, you can just as easily argue the opposite.