Why Was Florence So Important To The Renaissance

Florence is often named as the birthplace of the Renaissance. It ia a center for the European wool trade, the political power of the city laid mainly in the hands of the wealthy merchants who controlled the industry. These merchants built enormous mansions in the city, villas (country homes) in the country, and contributed to the construct a grand cathedrals, spawning the physical rebirth of the city. A spirit of competition developed between the rich merchants, who often competed with each other to see who could undertake the grandest buildings and the finest works of art. Competition increased the intense and passionate feeling with which the city entered into the Renaissance.
Florence is so important to the Renaissance because of the Medici