Religion was an important aspect during the Renaissance. Many of the vast artistic works of the time stemmed from religious inspiration. One such noted structure of the time is the Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Beyond the religious influence in art, however, there was a deeper movement involving religion during the Renaissance in Florence.
During the Middle Ages, people were taught not to question religious doctrine or the Church, but the Renaissance brought about an era of scientific thought and challenge to religious institutions. People were influenced by discoveries of the inner and outer universe. They explored freedom and necessity, and thus the concept of Christianity and religion as a whole was weakened. Many people felt religion should be an affair of the individual and personal feeling, not something regulated by institutions or the Pope for that matter. Epicureanism and atheism sprouted from such beliefs as the belief in God began to waver.
Toward the end of the Renaissance, religion had become a personal choice, and a general feeling of aversion to the Church existed. Many people felt the Church was corrupt in doctrine and tyrannous in practice. This discovery led many people, such as Martin Luther, to break away from the Church and come back to a simple religion based on faith. Religion underwent a transformation during the Renaissance which brought about the numerous institutions of religion that exist today.