The Renaissance began in Florence, Italy, during the 14th century. Historians pinpoint this city-state as the cradle of the movement due to its wealth from trade, influential patrons like the Medici family, and early humanists such as Dante and Petrarch who revived classical Greek and Roman ideas.

Origins in Florence

Florence's unique blend of prosperity and intellectual freedom sparked the Renaissance around the 1300s. The Black Death in the 1340s paradoxically boosted surviving wealth per capita, funding art and innovation—think Giotto's realistic paintings and Brunelleschi's invention of linear perspective. This period marked a shift from medieval focus on religion to humanism, emphasizing individual potential and observation.

Key Timeline Milestones

  • Early 14th century (c. 1300-1400) : Proto-Renaissance in Florence with figures like Giotto di Bondone revolutionizing art toward naturalism.
  • Mid-15th century : High Renaissance blooms, peaking in Rome under popes like Leo X, with masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
  • 14th-17th centuries overall : Spreads from Italy to Northern Europe, transforming science, literature, and politics.

Why Florence?

Florence thrived as a banking hub, lending to European monarchs and fostering capitalism's roots. Powerful families patronized artists, while the republic's political structure encouraged civic humanism over feudalism. No other city matched this perfect storm of money, culture, and curiosity.

Spread Across Europe

From Florence, ideas radiated: Venice via trade, Rome for papal projects, then France, England, and beyond by the 16th century. This "rebirth" ended the Middle Ages, birthing modernity.

TL;DR : Florence, Italy, 14th century—wealth, patrons, and humanism ignited it all.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.