The word Renaissance means rebirth. It is used to describe the years 1300 to 1600 CE in Italy and 1450 to 1650 CE in northern Europe. This era was a “rebirth” because it involved the rediscovery of things learned in centuries past, particularly in ancient Greece and Rome. The government of the Western Roman Empire fell apart in the fifth century CE. Its education system also collapsed. The new rulers of western Europe were warriors and warlords. After the fall of Rome, western Europe fell out of contact with the Greekspeaking Eastern Roman Empire. Greek was read and spoken less and less in the western part of the empire, and the knowledge of many subjects formerly taught in Greek faded. The Catholic Church was the main institution that survived the fall of Rome, and learning was preserved by Catholic monks in monasteries. By the twelfth century, the increasing wealth and power of European kingdoms had led to a new demand for learning.