The Renaissance was started by many rich Italian cities, such as Florence, Ferrara, Milan, and Venice (Bram 274). Because these cities were very wealthy, many merchants started to spend money on different things, such as painting, learning, new banking techniques, and new systems of government. ...
This revival was accepted into the lives of bankers, merchants, and clerics however, it was the two institutions of the nobility and the church that played a key role in the dissemination and development of Renaissance ideas and values. ... The Renaissance was a period of great riches in Italy, substantial profits were made from the Crusades, and Venice made money from the spice trade, but men seldom ceased complaining about the extravagance of women. ...
Seagoing merchants dominated in the lucrative trade in the Mediterranean, and the Pope's coffers were full from tithes and donations. ... Important churches like Saint Peter's in Rome, Santi Giovanni de Paolo in Venice, and the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence contain large numbers of impressive monuments to the great and the good, created by the finest architects and sculptors available from this time. ...
