What are some factors that led to shifts in Boccaccio’s Italy?

Giovanni Boccaccio lived during the beginning of the Italian Renaissance, which was a period of significant change in Italy, as well as in the rest of Europe. Disease and changes to the European weather patterns led to changes in population location and mass. New social classes emerged as the merchant class rose in power and the economics of Europe began changing from agriculture to trade. And the rediscovery of classical learning and art led to new ideas and the growth of urban universities. As a result of these forces, 14th century Italy shifted from an agricultural society to an increasingly urbane and learned society.

The beginning of the 14th Century marked the end of the Medieval Warm Period (a period of higher than normal temperature and rainfall) and the beginning of the Little Ice Age (a period of colder than normal temperatures). The changing temperature and weather patterns caused failures of crops and movement of people to areas where crops grew more readily. It also led more people to move to urban centers as they were not able to sustain themselves through farming.

Another factor that caused population location and mass to shift was the bubonic plague. As people fled the plague, or tried to avoid it altogether, they moved to new locales. Despite the higher death tolls in cities, many people fled to urban centers as those were the only places where they could find a means to survive. The plague also dramatically reduced the population of many areas, which led to changes in population dynamics, including allowing people to change profession and even climb social classes.

These environmental factors coincided with a growing change from a feudal-agriculture economic system to a merchant-trade economic system. As trade became more prevalent, merchants began to rise both in political power and social standing. This changed the political and social dynamics of the ruling class. It also led to the population of trading centers swelling as more people became involved in trade rather than agriculture.

Along with increased trade of goods came an increased trade in ideas. European scholars began rediscovering the works of classical authors and philosophers while European artists rediscovered classical art. This trend was strongest first in Italy, where many of the sources of classical ideas and art could be found and studied. Italian scholars started relocating to universities, which were usually found in the urban areas.

Thus, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Italy became a very different place during the course of his lifetime. Weather pattern instability and disease caused changes in the size and location of population centers. The rise of merchants as a political and economic force resulted in new social classes and changing lifestyles, as well as the growth of urban centers for trading. And the rediscovery of the works of classical scholars and artists brought new learning and ideas to Italy, as well as resulting in an increasing number  of universities in the urban areas.