The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement from the 14th to the 16th century. The word renaissance means "rebirth," and the era is best known for the renewed interest in the culture of classical antiquity. The Italian Renaissance began in northern Italy, centering in Florence. It then spread south, having an especially significant impact on Rome, which was largely rebuilt by the Renaissance popes. The Italian Renaissance is best known for its cultural achievements. This includes works of literature by such figures as Petrarch, Castiglione, and Machiavelli; artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and great works of architecture such as The Duomo in Florence and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. At the same time, present-day historians also see the era as one of economic regression and of little progress in science. Furthermore, some historians argue that the lot of the peasants and urban poor, the majority of the population, worsened during this period. Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Renaissance _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1297: : Scots under William Wallace defeated English troops in the Battle of Stirling Bridge. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stirling_Bridge) 1922: : The British Mandate of Palestine began. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_of_Palestine) 1955: : The Bern Switzerland Temple, the first Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe, was dedicated. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bern_Switzerland_Temple) 1973: : A military coup in Chile headed by Augusto Pinochet overthrew the government of President Salvador Allende. In total, some 3,000 people were killed or disappeared. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet) 2001: : September 11 Attacks: Three passenger airliners were hijacked to destroy the World Trade Center in New York City and part of The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania. In total, almost 3,000 people were killed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11%2C_2001_attacks) _____________________ Wikiquote of the day: "September 11 was, and remains, above all an immense human tragedy. But September 11 also posed a momentous and deliberate challenge not just to America but to the world at large. The target of the terrorists was not only New York and Washington but the very values of freedom, tolerance and decency which underpin our way of life." -- Tony Blair (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tony_Blair)