Question

Why did the Renaissance begin in northern Italy?

Answer 1

Answer: The Renaissance was a rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman thinking and styles, and both the Roman and Greek civilizations were Mediterranean cultures, as is Italy. The best single reason for Italy as the birthplace of the Renaissance was the concentration of wealth, power, and intellect in the Church.

Explain:

One major reason the Renaissance began in Italy is linked to geography. The city-states of Italy,

positioned on the Mediterranean Sea, were centers for trade and commerce, the first port of call for

both goods and new ideas.

Secondly, Italy was the core of the former Roman empire, and, at the collapse of the Byzantine empire

in 1453, became the refuge for the intellectuals of Constantinople who brought with them many of the

great works of the ancient Greeks and Romans, works that had been lost to the West during the Dark

Ages. Prior to this, scholars in Italy had been examining the works of the ancients, but they were of poor

quality and often incomplete.

The third reason was political. Due to various political intrigues, the Holy Roman Empire had essentially

lost power in northern Italy, the papal states were governed by various leading families within each

region, and the city of Naples dominated the South. This vacuum of leadership allowed merchant

families to gain considerate power within each city-state and thus revised the laws governing banking,

commerce, shipping, and trade. This freer atmosphere led to a busy exchange of both goods and ideas.

Answer 2

It was because the churches in northern Italy had the art for the Renaissance and because Italy was wealthy and had already been the center of Ancient Greek and Roman culture.