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One reason why Florence became a cultural center was the wealth that trade and commerce . Over time, Florence became Europe's banking hub and grew richer than the largest kingdoms in Europe.The Mercato Nuovo, or New Market, was built in the mid-1500's as a center for the city's cloth and banking industries. (TCI pg 381)

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In Florence, some rich families sponsored art called patrons. One of the families was the Medici family. The Medici family was one of the most powerful families that ever ruled. They lost power to a man named Lorenzo but eventually regained power after his assassination.

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Other Italian scientists and mathematicians made breakthroughs as well. Girolamo Cardano solved complex equations in algebra and did pioneering work in probability, the science of chance. Galileo Galileo conducted important experiments about gravity, proving that a heavier object and a lighter object fall at the same rate.( TCI section 6 pg 378-379)

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Literature was also a reason for the growth of the Renaissance. In medieval times, literature was based on religion; most writers wrote in Latin or very formally. Their work could only be ready by brilliant people. One of the famous writers was Dante Alighieri. He wrote a lot of very popular books.

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The humanist interest influenced Renaissance sculptors in realism also inspired by ancient Roman statues dug up from ruins. A Florentine artist named Donatello was one of the first sculptors to use the new lifestyle type of work in his painting. Michelangelo's David also influenced the work of Donatello's David. Donarello's David is craved from bronze and Michelangelo's David is craved from white marble.

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One key advance made by the Renaissance painters was the use of perspective, which created the appearance of depth on a flat surface. Renaissance artists used several techniques to achieve depth. One was the size of objects. The smaller painted object, the farther it appears to be. (TCI pg, 375).

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This is il Duomo, the dome of the Church of Santa Maria del Fiore.  The cathedral lacked a dome for decades, but Filippo Brunelleschi figured a way to build  this massive dome out of iron hoops, wood and brick. It has no internal supports.