The dawn of the Renaissance in Italy was a time of distinct contrasts. One could read for years about the great atrocities of wars between neighboring cities, or of the vendettas taking place almost daily. There are also rooms full of books dedicated to the changes in art, literature, and science. While one-third of the population of Europe was sick or dying of plague and disease, so many others were reading, writing, and creating some of the greatest works of art the world has ever seen. In chapter one of J.H. Plumb's book, "The Italian Renaissance," there are many statements made about the beginning of the Renaissance in Italy, and how society as a whole, was affected by the widespread sickness and death of the bubonic plague. Later in chapter eleven, Petrarch, a well-known as well as talented author and poet, is described. In this chapter, many similarities between Petrarch's life and how society as a whole was living, become evident. .
During the beginning of the Renaissance, the bubonic plague was ravaging the countryside. Nearly one-third of the population was wiped out; whole towns were emptied. There was fear and the stench of death everywhere. On page nine of Plumb's, "The Italian Renaissance," it states, "A new death rather than a rebirth seemed Europe's prospect. Indeed, the dance of death became a threnody of life, haunting the imagination of men." The plague did not only affect the poor or indigent, but the rich and powerful were also falling prey to its grip. In Francesco Traini's, "Triumph of Death," there is an illustration of a hunting party coming across three plague victims. The illustration shows one of obvious poverty, wearing only rags, the second a European king with a crown on his head, and the third is an Egyptian pharaoh in full headdress. This picture illustrates just how wide spread the bubonic plague had become. No one was safe.