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The country was rich, because of [[How did the Silk Road develop?|trade]] and industry and this meant that many wealthy Italians were willing to act as patrons of great artists. The Italian Peninsula was divided among a series of city-states.<ref>Ruggiero, Guido. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521719380/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521719380&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=90629fdde8856871bdd69f392194f543 The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento]'' (Cambridge University Press, 2015), p. 648.</ref> These were Republics and they were tolerant societies, that placed a high value on creativity in the arts and though. They were unique societies in the Europe of the time. Crucially, the influence of the church was limited in these city-states and there was generally [[What were the social factors that led to the Renaissance in Italy?|freedom of thought and expression]]. Indeed, many prominent Churchmen were active patrons of Renaissance artists, including [[What was the role of the Popes in the Renaissance?|Popes]].<ref>Ruggiero, p. 78.</ref>

Until 1500 Italy was at the centre of the Mediterranean world and its vast network of trade routes. Italian traders made vast profits by acting as middlemen in the trade between the Muslim and Christian worlds. Furthermore, the Italian clothing industry exported its goods all over the Mediterranean.<ref>Ruggiero, p. 134.</ref> The riches made enabled the elite to fund the work of great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. However, after Columbus discovered America, the Mediterranean economy went into a steep decline. New trade routes were established in the Atlantic and the trade of the Mediterranean dropped off. This led to less money being spent on art in Italy.<ref>Lopez, Robert Sabatino, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316532002/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316532002&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=d7834ce1e2ccb139a585310f8f29d767 The Three Ages of the Italian Renaissance]'' (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1970), p. 89.</ref>