The Renaissance began in the city of Florence

During the Middle Ages, Romans and Greeks had great success with art, science and literature. But then living conditions in Western Europe changed in a bad way. People became poor and hungry because of wars. This time period is called the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages lasted for hundreds of years. In the mid 1300s A.D., people began to discover the arts and technologies of the Romans and Greeks. We call this period of time the Renaissance. The Renaissance began around 1350 A.D. in Italy and continued until about 1600 A.D. Italy was home to the Roman Empire for centuries and the Roman Empire became the world center of culture, power, business and technology. After the fall of the Roman Empire, because of its ideal location for controlling important trade routes, Italy had direct contact with many cultures throughout the world. The study of humanism became popular in Italy. Humanist teachers opened schools and taught students the traditions of Rome and Greece. The Renaissance began in the city of Florence because of the Medici Family. They donated money to support the development of the arts. Later on, Rome and Venice became world famous for the high quality of their art and literature. People from other countries such as France, England, Germany and the Netherlands started to invite artists to their countries. As the Renaissance spread throughout Europe, the standard of living and education improved.