Driving Forces of the Renaissance

Trade and Banking

I think trade and banking is the most important driving force of the Renaissance. In 15th century Italy, trade and banking was flourishing. The city states traded with eachother, exchanging knowledge in the process, and merchants from far-off lands brought new ideas and inventions to Italy. The rich trading families had more capital -because of their succesful trading and banking- to invest in intellectual and artistic pursuits.