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The Black Death was also an economic crisis as trade ceased because of fear of the plague spread. As trade stagnated, businesses failed, and unemployment rose. The plague caused a complete social breakdown in many areas. In the Decameron, Boccaccio describes people abandoning their occupations, ignoring the sick, and living lives of wild excess, as everyone expected to die.

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In the south of Italy, the opposite occurred. Here, since the Norman kings, the aristocracy had been consolidating feudalism. After the Black Death, the elite responded to the labor shortages by strengthening the peasants' restrictions and thereby strengthened feudalism in southern Italy. The plague's consequences resulted in a growing divide between the North and South of Italy that persists to this day.<ref>Benedictow, Ole Jørgen ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1843832143/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1843832143&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=449097edacea911d1f7384a876564988 Black Death 1346–1353: The Complete History]'' (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,2004) p. 234</ref> In general, after a period of recovery, much of Italy became very wealthy as a more sophisticated economy emerged, especially in the North of Italy. This was crucial, as Italy's increased wealth allowed the elite, such as the De Medicis in Florence, to become the patrons of great artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.<ref> Frederick Hartt, and David G. Wilkins, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131882473/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0131882473&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=6cfea7bdf46c76a3b637cf054ebc4f63 History of Italian Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture]'' (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003), p 67</ref>

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Initially, in Italy, the plague led to a revival in religion among many. The middle ages was a time when people believed that events are a result of God’s will. Many viewed the plague as punishment for God for the wickedness and immorality of the people. There was an upsurge in religious observance, and many sections of the public became swept by religious fervor, as many sincerely believed that the Black Death was a sign that the end of the world was coming.<ref>Benedictow, 2004, p. 234</ref> Religious fanaticism spread throughout the peninsula and many men and women performed in extreme religious practices, such as the flagellants. The flagellants whipped themselves into a frenzy to atone for their sins. The Church suffered greatly during the plague. Many priests and especially monks died. The monasteries proved ideal breeding grounds for the plague while many priests contracted the sickness as they gave the dying's last rites. <ref>Benedictow, 2004, p. 234</ref>

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[[File:Petrarch_by_Bargilla.jpg|thumbnail|left|175px|Petrarch- poet and scholar]]

The world was turned upside down by the Black Death. The mental outlook of people changed dramatically. Previously, people assumed that the world was fixed and God-ordained. The Black Death overturned old certainties. As we have seen, the plague and its devastation undermined religious orthodoxy and beliefs. People at the time were no longer willing to accept the status quo. This change manifested in the numerous political revolts of the time.<ref>Benedictow, 2004, p. 174</ref> The most famous of these, led by the poor workers and weavers called the Ciompi popularly, took place in Florence in 1378. For four years, the poor formed the government of the city. The revolt was one of several in Italy at the time. People are no longer willing to question the old ways of doing things and no longer accepted things because they were sanctioned by tradition.

The Black Death led to a great questioning of the old certainties. This led many, especially among the urban elite, to use reason to understand the world. They also increasingly turned to the classics to find answers to the problems of life. The new spirit of inquiry helped to ignite the Renaissance, especially in politics and philosophy.<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=a042e34611daa82f83ef52dd3ac08b6c The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento]'' (Cambridge University Press, 2015), p 648</ref> However, that is not to say that Italy rejected all traditions. It was still a very conservative society in many ways. However, those who questioned authority and the received wisdom, such as the Poet and Scholar Petrarch, inspired the Humanist movement, which valued reason and critical thinking. The Humanist is essential in the development and progress of the Renaissance.<ref>Burkhardt, 1878, p. 67</ref>

[[File:Botticelli-primavera.jpg|thumbnail|left|Primevera by Botticelli]]

Initially, the Black Death led to a fascination with death among many Italians. The loss of life and suffering led many to become obsessed with death.<ref> Herlihy, D., ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674076133/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0674076133&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=ed19d965a5f4e3c1389be15f87195a5d The Black Death and the Transformation of the West]'' (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1997) p. 116</ref> The Dance of Death was a popular motif in art and architecture at this time. The general mood was one of pessimism, and indeed many expected that the world would end sooner or later. Alongside this fear of death and the general mood of pessimism, there was a desire to experience the pleasures of life and seize any happiness on offer. This contradictory impact of the Black Death on the culture of the time can be seen in the writings of two of the greatest figures in European literature, Petrarch and Boccaccio.<ref>Benedictow, 2004, p. 173 </ref> These two writers at times wrote in despair about the human condition yet they also wrote about the joys of life and the beauties of nature.

This sense that life was fleeting and that every happiness should be seized led many Italians to seek solace in art and literature, and this was one of the factors in the development of the Renaissance. Many of the elite were eager to enjoy life's pleasures, which led them to patronize artists. It also resulted in a shift in the themes of artists.<ref> Pullan, 1973, p. 173 </ref> Religious topics remained popular, however, there was also a fascination with secular themes, especially from the classical world. The new interest in secular subjects can be seen in a comparison between Giotto and Botticelli. Giotto painted almost exclusively religious paintings. While Giotto painted secular and religious themes, he is best known for his secular works as in masterpieces such as Primavera.<ref>Hayden B. J. Maginnis, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0271020911/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0271020911&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=390ba05b8bf7168c013a8c5bf3d77d84 Painting in the Age of Giotto: A Historical Reevaluation]''(Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1997), p. 78 </ref>

The plague disrupted society to an unprecedented state. It overturned the existing social structure. Previous to the outbreak of the plague, Italy was a rigid and stratified society. The Black Death changed everything. Increasingly, because of the plague's demographic disaster, they were able to take advantage of the opportunities caused by the high death rate. In the period after the Black Death, an unprecedented amount of social mobility took place. Laborers became merchants, and merchants become members of the nobility. No longer was a person’s destiny to be fixed by their birth. Previously, people assumed that one’s station was fixed at one’s birth and that one had to remain a member of the class you were born into.<ref> Benedictow, 2004, p. 73 </ref> People believed that a peasant would always be a peasant, an aristocrat, and an aristocrat. Italians, like other peoples, in Europe, believed that one’s birth determined one’s future and that this was determined by God.<ref>Pullan, 1973, p. 123 </ref>

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One group that was adversely impacted by the Black Death was the nobility. This was also the case in many other European regions and kingdoms. The nobility suffered as much as many other classes due to the plague, and many families died out during the period. In the aftermath of the epidemic, they found themselves in serious financial difficulties. The loss of population meant no longer a high demand for their land, and rents fell.<ref>Pullan, 1973, p. 123 </ref>

They were keen to use art and to patronize scholars to compensate for the lack of traditional authority. To appear the equal of the old aristocracy, they sought to sponsor artists who would win the public's esteem.<ref> Burkhardt, 1878, p. 78</ref> This was one reason for the de Medici's lavish patronage in Florence. They were keen patrons of the arts to justify their status in society and impress the general population. This meant that the great artists had many patrons who often competed for their talents, which allowed them to concentrate on their art and produce some of the greatest art ever known.<ref>Hayden B. J. Maginnis, 1997, p. 167 </ref>

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