<P> The French Renaissance traditionally extends from (roughly) the French invasion of Italy in 1494 during the reign of Charles VIII until the death of Henry IV in 1610 . This chronology notwithstanding, certain artistic, technological or literary developments associated with the Renaissance arrived in France earlier (for example, by way of the Burgundy court or the Papal court in Avignon); however, the Black Death of the 14th century and the Hundred Years' War kept France economically and politically weak until the late 15th century . </P> <P> The reigns of Francis I of France (from 1515 to 1547) and his son Henry II (from 1547 to 1559) are generally considered the apex of the French Renaissance . </P> <P> The word "Renaissance" is a French word, whose literal translation into English is "Rebirth". The word Renaissance was first used and defined by French historian Jules Michelet (1798--1874), in his 1855 work, Histoire de France (History of France). Jules Michelet defined the 16th - century Renaissance in France as a period in Europe's cultural history that represented a break from the Middle Ages, creating a modern understanding of humanity and its place in the world . As a French citizen and historian, Michelet also claimed the Renaissance as a French movement . His work is at the origin of the use of the French word "Renaissance" in other languages . </P> <P> For a chronological list of French Renaissance artists, see List of French Renaissance artists . </P>

What is the literal meaning of the french word renaissance