There is only one renaissance period. it is widely known as the Italian Renaissance because there is a general — though by no means unchallenged — consensus that the Renaissance began in Florence, Italy in the fourteenth century.

Various theories have been proposed to explain its origin and characteristics, focusing on an assortment of factors, including the social and civic peculiarities of Florence at this time including its political structure and the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici.

Most historians agree that the ideas that characterized the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th century Florence, in particular with the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374), as well as the painting of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337).[10] Yet it remains unclear why the Renaissance began in Italy, and why it began when it did.