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Florence : The Birthplace Of The Renaissance

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Florence, The Birthplace of the Renaissance
In Europe, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, much of the continent fell into a cultural recession. For many centuries science, mathematics and the arts were extremely stagnant. Beginning in the mid 14th century, the Italian Peninsula began to undergo a transformation evident in the works of artists, writers and scholars. This era is known as the Renaissance and was a revival of the classical world following the appropriately named Dark Ages. Renaissance thinkers became known as humanists, interested in learning about religious and non-religious studies and celebrated worldly achievements. Florence, Italy was the center for many of the advancements that took place during this time period and was the birthplace of many of the Renaissance individuals we know today. The economic, political and artistic influences of the Medici family, combined with it’s ideal geographical location for trade, made Florence emerge as the birthplace of the Renaissance.
The Medici Family was an extremely wealthy family who played a key role in developing Florence’s political system. They controlled much of Florence throughout the Renaissance and supported the growth of the arts within the city. Giovanni de Medici began in the banking business and by 1397 he was the banker of the Papal Court. (p.338 Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.) Centrally located in Florence, Giovanni and

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