The document summarizes key aspects of the Italian Renaissance, including: 1) The Renaissance began in Italy, particularly northern Italian city-states like Florence, due to strong economies based on trade which empowered merchants over feudal lords. 2) Florence became a center of the Renaissance under the patronage of the Medici family, most notably Lorenzo de' Medici, who sponsored many great artists and thinkers. 3) Renaissance art and literature broke from medieval traditions by embracing realism, perspective, and a focus on classical antiquity as well as humanist ideals that emphasized human potential and secular subjects.