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[[File:Florence_Cathedral.jpg|thumbnail|370px|left|The Duomo in Florence, Italy built during the Italian Renaissance]]

The Italian Renaissance was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisation. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Raphael. The Renaissance’s days of glories occurred from approximately 1400-1500. However, several factors led to the end of the Renaissance and the end of one of the most creative periods in human history.

==The Renaissance==

[[File:Leonardo.jpg|thumbnail|Leonardo da Vinci|200px]]

==Economic Decline==

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> Although, the Pope’s still continued to be great patrons of the arts. The relative decline in the Italian economy, because of changing trade routes, because of the Discovery of America, led to less money being spent on the arts and education. This had a negative impact on the Renaissance and fewer great works of art and literature.<ref>Lopez, p. 98.</ref>