The plague originated in China and was brought to Europe by twelve Genoese ships that landed in Sicily about October of 1347, and would wreak havoc on Europe until 1350. However, during this time, the Catholic church would use the plague to their advantage to make more money. They did so by creating and selling charms, potions, Mary’s breast milk, and wood from the cross of Jesus Christ.
After the plague and the collapse of feudalism gave way to the Renaissance era, which began in Italy, due to the influence of Italian city-states capitalism and their ties to trade. The Renaissance era led to the creation of the printing press, art, and exploration. The printing press was a revolutionary discovery by Johannes Gutenberg, that would later help Martin Luther attack the Catholic Church with his 95 theses. Art of the Renaissance is a blend of classical and Christian figures. The four master artists of the period were Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, and