The Renaissance era was a return to a more 'conservative' style of churches, and also a new philosophical direction initiated in Florence in an attempt to define itself as separate and significant from the rest of Italy.

The extreme sculptural ornamentation of the Gothic Style was perceived as being too heavy, dark and 'over done' by the renaissance thought.

A return to a more 'classical' church, one which borrowed from the past designs but refined and lightened the design to make it more of a 'human scale'.

They sought a simpler facade, simpler interior with significant pieces of art inside, technically well done, but relying less on sculpture and more on the new oil painting potential invented  in the early renaissance era.

Painting added color to the space, it was lighter and held the same potential for illustrative symbology.

Surfaces that would have been filled with huge stone sculptures, were filled with  bright paintings, which in a poorly lit building, played better to the eye and were less 'spooky' in casting shadows

The outside of the buildings were less imposing and included more of the classical Greek' elements in an attempt of the Renaissance architects to recapture their 'classical roots'.