Cosimo (1434-1464), and his grandson Lorenzo the Magnificent (1469-1492), were successful in dominating the city when it was the center for culture during the Renaissance. .
Most of southern Italy and the island of Sicily were under the control of the kingdom of Naples. This kingdom was fought over by the French and the Aragonese up until the middle of the fifteenth century when the Aragonese established their control over the land. Throughout the Renaissance, the kingdom of Naples remained a backward monarchy. Its population was consisted mostly of poverty-stricken peasants subjugated by uncontrollable nobles. Naples shared little in the cultural splendor of the Renaissance. .
Central Italy was under the control of Papal authority. Supposedly under control of the pope, papal residents in Avignon and the Great Schism made it possible for individual cities and territories to remove themselves from papal authority. Some of these city-states included Urbino, Bologna, and Ferrara. The popes of the fifteenth century tried desperately to reestablish their control over the Papal States. The independent city-states were under the control of powerful ruling families. One different feature of these courts was the role that women played politically. Like the wives of medieval lords, they were respected for governing the state "with firmness and good sense." (Spielvogel) .
In the middle Ages, ambassadors were used on a temporary basis. No matter whose subject the ambassadors were, they considered themselves as a servant of Christendom. Since they severed all of Christendom, "The business of the ambassador was peace." (Spielvogel) The Italian Renaissance has produced the modern system of diplomacy. The concept of the ambassador changed at this time because of the political situation in Italy at this time. During this time in Italy, many small city-states had existed. To endure against the larger city-states the smaller city-states started to send diplomatic representatives to each city-state to resolve problems.
