WORLD HISTORY

HISTORY

THE RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
How did the Medici family make Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance?
A
They built a Roman Catholic Church there
B
They made the peasants work over time without extra pay
C
They made Florence the capital of Europe
D
They hired artists and architects (patrons).
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work without having to worry about money.

Detailed explanation-2: -Florence is often named as the birthplace of the Renaissance. The early writers and artists of the period sprung from this city in the northern hills of Italy. As a center for the European wool trade, the political power of the city rested primarily in the hands of the wealthy merchants who dominated the industry.

Detailed explanation-3: -15th century. Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (c. 1360–1429), son of Averardo de’ Medici (1320–1363), increased the wealth of the family through his creation of the Medici Bank, and became one of the richest men in the city of Florence.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Medici family ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance. They had a major influence on the growth of the Italian Renaissance through their patronage of the arts and humanism. The Medici family were wool merchants and bankers. Both businesses were very profitable and the family became extremely wealthy.

Detailed explanation-5: -The work they had artists produce also had a political purpose-acting as potent symbols of the family’s dominion in virtually all aspects of society in Florence and effectively boosting the city as an art center in the process.

Detailed explanation-6: -But perhaps their most enduring legacy-for which the world owes them a debt of gratitude-is their patronage of the arts. Artists such as Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Botticelli, and Michelangelo all thrived under Medici patronage.

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