In this presentation, Giuliana Koch examines the four building blocks of the Renaissance, Wealth, Civic Ambition, Religion and Humanism, which brought Florence and its rich history to the forefront of civilization. She answers the questions: Why was the city of Florence the birthplace of the Renaissance? And, why did the rebirth happen in Florence?

Giuliana will summarize the interplay of civic ambition, the expressions of wealth, intellectual vitality and religious life which helped form the development of the humanistic spirit and trace the origins of the Renaissance beyond the obvious examples of artistic and architectural excellence.

It took less than 300 years, between the 13th century and the 16th century, for Florence to fully become the “Renaissance City,” the city of the rebirth idealized by the Humanists, expressing the great optimism of the Renaissance: that all things human can aspire to be eternal.