At the beginning of the Renaissance, Italy was divided into some 250 self governing city-states, ranging from small towns of 2,000 individuals to some of the largest cities in Europe during that time, such as Florence, Milan, and Venice which all had about 100,000 citizens each. These city-states were loosely organized under the Pope, ruling out of Rome, although he had no real political control over the divided Italy.

During the mid-1300's and early 1400's, many large Italian cities came under the contr

Brunelleschi was the first Renaissance architect to revive the Roman style of architecture. He incorporated arches, columns, and other elements of classical architecture to famous designs. One of his best known buildings, the Pazzi Chapel in Florence, was the first building to be designed with such elements. Brunelleschi is also credited with the invention of linear perspective, a mathematical system painters could use to show space and depth on a flat surface.

The Italian Renaissance has made a major impact on the rest of Europe, leaving an intellectual and artistic heritage that remains important. The humanists themes that developed in Renaissance Italy helped shape the Reformation and influenced many great European thinkers during the Enlightenment. Its artwork and architecture has defined reality and influenced artists well into the 21st century. The new ideas that were developed by Machiavelli surrounding politics greatly influenced monarchies and governments in the years following its publication. If the Italian people had not paved the way for the Renaissance in the rest of Europe, the reality we live in today would certainly not be the same because the Renaissance probably wouldn't have taken place.

Perhaps the most renowned and highly recognized achievements during the Renaissance in Italy were in the field of the fine arts. During the Middle Ages, painters and sculptors tried to give their works a spiritual quality, wanting their audience to focus on the deep religious meaning of their works of art. They were definitely not concerned with making their artwork look lifelike, as can be depicted by famous artwork of many medieval artists. Renaissance writers wanted to portray the world realistically in a natural state, with lifelike people showing real emotions.

ol of one family, such as the Visconti and later the Sforza families in Milan. The form of government established by the ruling families of the various Italian cities came to be known as signoria, with the chief official being called the signore. Soon elaborate court systems, controlled by the ruling families, began to spring up in each city-state. At these courts leading artists, intellectuals, and politicians gathered under the sponsorship of the signore and families.

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