Despite the possible downfalls that the republic had on Venice, they had much power throughout Europe. "The philosopher-poet Francesco Petrarch (1304-74) called it mundus alter, another world." (Brown, 9).
In Florence, which is considered to be the most important center of Renaissance learning in history, the Medici family dominated the ruling class. Under Medici domination, Florence became a signorial power and a cultural gem stone. It was during that reign of Lorenzo De' Medici that many great painters, sculptors, and architects flocked to the Medici family looking for sponsorship, knowing that Lorenzo was a great supporter of the arts. It was at this point, during the 1430's, that the Renaissance and many of its core philosophies truly began to take off in Italy.
Humanism is considered to be the most significant intellectual movement of the Renaissance. As its name implies, humanism was a philosophy that was characterized by blending concern with the history and actions of all human beings, and their influences on the world with religious duty. Prior to Renaissance thinking Medieval Europe considered life to be sinful - that people should only be concerned about their duty to God and the afterlife. The humanists thought that every person has respect and worth and therefore should command the respect of every other person. The humanistic movement began during the early Italian Renaissance with the rediscovery of the writings of classical Greeks and Romans, which were not only models of literary style, but considered to be guides to the understanding of life. The first, and most recognized pioneers of humanism were Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio.
Petrarch became known for his poetry, which can be described along with many humanistic writings to be very realistic, critical, and more often than not satirical. Petrarch's style is close to those of the classical authors he studied, expressing his view accurately through the use of characters.
