Why Is The Italian Renaissance Important

The Italian Renaissance was an important period in not only Italian but also European history. Although the Italian Renaissance began in Italy during the 14th Century and lasted till the 16th Century, it would also bring a wave of change to all of Europe. The Italian Renaissance brought a period of cultural change, appreciation and achievement through art, literature, and humanism. This event occurred in Italy for many reasons, three of these being its thriving cities, wealthy merchant class, and access to classical heritage from Greece and Rome.
The first reason the Renaissance began in Italy was because of Italyś many thriving city-states. The Cities most important to the Renaissance, such as Florence were located in Northern Italy because …show more content…
Many of the wealthy merchants in Italy had so much money that they were able to spend it any interest that they wished. Many families decided to purchase art, this raised the price of art causing a new high demand for many forms of art. Because of this high demand for art many Merchants would buy art pieces and sculptures to show off their power and wealth. Merchants also helped spread ideas of the Renaissance through individualism. Most merchants were not born into wealthy families. Instead, they had to earn their social, economical and political status. This was important because it went against the idea from the medieval times that you were born into a certain status and the that is where you were meant to stay. This was called individualism which is self-achievement. Lastly, a lot of the wealthy families would use money or simply their status to gain control in politics and overall power in their community. One example of this was the Medici family. The Medici family was a family of merchants who were very important bankers and gained the account of the Roman Catholic Church. At that time the Church was the most important organization in Italy so this account was a major advantage against their many rivals. Soon Cosimo de Medici took control over florence and lead a long legacy of rule. The Medici family were huge patrons of the arts and decorated their …show more content…
This was important because it brought ideas of the past back that ultimately changed into new ones. Roman ruins that surrounded many of the people in Italy constantly reminded the Italians that something great had once taken place in Rome and many Italians wanted to bring the ideas of Rome back to do this many scholars read Latin literature which helped the Renaissance by evolving people's original ideas. Also, many Christian Scholars fled from their home in Constantinople in 1453 because the Ottoman Empire had taken over. With them they brought Ancient Greek manuscripts that held new ideas on life, science, math, and more. These new ideas contradicted Aristotle an ancient philosopher who the Roman Catholic Church supported and said was right. This contradiction brought up skepticism of not only Aristotle but also the Roman Catholic Church. This was important to the Renaissance because it influenced society away from constant religion and to a more secular state of mind. The different greek heritage and ideas that were brought over were a great contributor to the Renaissance because they opened peopleś minds and brought around a new