Why Did the Renaissance Start in Florence Italy?

The Renaissance started in Florence Italy because of several key factors of the Florence culture including:

• Wealth of the citizens - Wealth provided the money to pay the artists.
• Influence of the artists  - Artists wanted to portray life in a more realistic way, with perspective and logic, and many artists were influential members of society.
• Attitudes of the people - People had more money and leisure time and wanted more art in their lives.

All of these combined to make Florence, Italy the starting place of the Renaissance.  

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy because the city had the elements which helped the Renaissance begin and flourish:

• The population was wealthy, and you need wealth to subsidize a rebirth of culture.

• Logic and reasoning was esteemed, and artists sought to portray things in a realistic and mathematical way.
• There were guilds that practically ran the city which allowed the rebirth to happen.

During the Renaissance, there were advances in all the arts and sciences. In the 15th century, Florence was a wonderful place to be. There were many artists, architects, philosophers, and writers that had guilds whose members were influential in city politics. Florence was also known for its banking industry. So there was a lot of money and artists were influential in society.  

Since the guilds made decisions about the city’s issues, money was spent on artistic and cultural endeavors. The Renaissance was the first time that artists were recognized for their talent and not just for craftsmanship.  They came into their own during the Renaissance.

Italian Renaissance Achievements in Florence

The Renaissance lasted for three centuries and brought about many changes in Europe. The Italian Renaissance was the beginning of the Renaissance, starting in Florence and soon spreading to the rest of Italy.

It is best know for its cultural achievements in literature, art, and architecture.

• Early writers include Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Machiavelli.
• Italic type was invented by Aldo Manuzio, which allowed books to be smaller and more portable.  He also published some books in ancient Greek.
• Artists include Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael.
• Architects included sculpture and painting in the design of buildings, like in the Sistine Chapel. 

During the Renaissance, there was a return to ancient Greek and Roman ideals. Studying ancient texts led to development of zoology, botany, and astrology. Science and art went together, which is apparent in the work of da Vinci. His experiments and scientific method led the way for the modern science of today. Architecture also returned to the ancient ideals, with classic lines and symmetry. 

This is obvious when looking at the arches, domes, columns, pilasters, and niches that were built.  A great example of Renaissance architecture is St Peter’s Basilica.  

Great Italian Artists

The many excellent artists working in Italy at this time helped fuel the Renaissance in Italy.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci lived from 1452 to 1519 and was one of the early figures of the Renaissance.  He dabbled in much more than paint; he studied medicine, botany, math, geology, and warfare. He was a sculptor, inventor, musician, and architect as well as a painter. Notable works include: The Last Supper, Mona Lisa, and Vitruvian Man.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) was primarily a sculptor. He is best known for his work on the Sistine Chapel and his statue of David.  Realism was extremely important to Renaissance artists, and the sculpture David had more energy, youthfulness, and emotion than sculptures of the past.  It took him four years to paint the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, because he had to paint while the plaster was wet.

Raphael

Raphael was born in 1483 and died in 1520.  He was the head architect of St. Peter’s Basilica. He also designed tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. He is well known for his frescoes named School of Athens.