ITALIAN RENAISSANCE. (See page 227 for Italian Romanesque.) (See page 404 for Italian Gothic.) " Come, leave your Gothic, worn-out story. They love not fancies just betrayed, And artful tricks of light and shade, But pure form nakedly displayed, And all things absolutely made." — Ci.oUGH. The Renaissance of Italy varies considerably in the chief centres of the great revival, namely, Florence, Rome, and Venice, and this was due to various social and political causes, which will be enumerated shortly. THE FLORENTINE SCHOOL. " P'lorcnce at peace, and the calm, studious heads Come out again, the penetrating eyes ; As if a spell broke, all resumed, each art You boast, more vivid that it slept awhile 'Gainst the glad heaven, o'er the white palace front The interrupted scaffold climbs anew ; The walls are peopled by the painter's brush. The statue to its niche ascends to dwell." — Browning. I. INFLUENCES (see page 437). i. Geographical. — It must be remembered that Florence was more than a city, being, in fact, one of the powers of Italy, although its dominions included only a small part of Central Italy. The activity and influence of the Florentines caused a Pope to declare that they were the fifth element. ii. Geological. — The quarries of Tuscany supplied large blocks of stone and marble, which, being near the surface, were easily obtained for building purposes, and the monumental character and massiveness of these materials considerably influenced the style of the architecture.
