Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance which began in the late 13th century when the powerful Medici family were great patrons of the arts and commissioned many masterpieces. The Renaissance quickly spread to Siena and other parts of Tuscany, then to Venice and Milan and to smaller towns like Urbino in central Italy’s Marche region and Mantova.

Famous Renaissance artists include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Piero della Francesca, Raphael and Botticelli. Their art works can be seen in many places in central and northern Italy. Most of these places are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.