Changes

<blockquote>"Thus, doing exactly as they prescribed, they spent day and night moving from one tavern to the next, drinking without mode or measure, or doing the same thing in other people's homes, engaging only in those activities that gave them pleasure….. And they combined this bestial behavior with as complete an avoidance of the sick as they could manage."</blockquote><ref> Boccaccio, Giovanni. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140449302/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0140449302&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=199bd9b0ec199319d106dc174065bb99 The Decameron].'' (Penguin Classics, Hammondsworth, 1987) trans Mark Musa, p. 6</ref></blockquote>

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 demographic disaster caused by the plague 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 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> However, as social mobility became more widespread because of the Black Death, many people, came to believe that a person’s merits or abilities were what mattered and not one’s birth.<ref>Benedictow, 2004, p. 174 </ref> This led to a growing individualism in Italian society. This, in turn, encouraged people to strive and to develop their talents and achieve excellence or virtue.<ref>Burkhardt, 1878, p. 78</ref> The belief in the individual was central to the Renaissance and it inspired many of the greatest artists, architects, sculptures and writers, the world have ever seen to create peerless works.

==Decline However, as social mobility became more widespread because of the Nobility==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 others classes as a result of the plague and , many families died out during the period. In the aftermath of the epidemicpeople, they found themselves in serious financial difficulties. The loss of population meant came to believe that there was no longer a high demand for their land person’s merits or abilities were what mattered and rents fellnot one’s birth.<ref>PullanBenedictow, 19732004, p. 123 174 </ref>  Many of their laborers simply left the land, and they were not replaced. Many of the nobility found themselves obliged to sell their serfs their freedom or to sell land This led to merchants from the cities. At this time, many wealthy merchants purchased new estates. The demise of the traditional elite meant that a new elite came to the fore, composed of merchants and self-made mengrowing individualism in Italian society. This new elite often keen to patronize arts. They were very conscious of their lack of birth and humble origins.<ref>Pullan, 1973in turn, p. 23 </ref>  They were keen encouraged people to use art strive and to patronize men of letters to compensate for lack of traditional authority. In order to appear the equal of the old aristocracy, they sought to sponsor artists who would win the esteem of the publicdevelop their talents and achieve excellence or virtue.<ref> Burkhardt, 1878, p. 78</ref> This was one of the reasons for the lavish patronage of the de Medici’s The belief in Florence. They were keen patrons of the arts, individual was central to justify their status in society the Renaissance and to impress the general population. This meant that the great artists had it inspired many patrons, who often competed for their talents and this allowed them to concentrate on their art and to produce some of the greatest art, ever known.<ref>Hayden B. J. Maginnisartists, 1997, p. 167 </ref> ====Conclusion====The Black Death devastated Italian society in the middle of the 14th century. It led to great socio-economicarchitects, cultural sculptures and religious changes. After the initial horrors of the plague, Italian societywriters, staged a spectacular recovery. Italy became richer than before. The impact of the plague reduced the influence of the Catholic Church as diminished, and the culture became more secular. The new social mobility meant that individualism came world have ever seen to be respected. The Black Death unleashed the forces in Italian society that made the Renaissance possiblecreate peerless works. {{Template<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:Survey1}}35%'>