Question

fill in the blank

social shifts from the middle ages to the renaissance included the end of _______________,
which killed millions of people, an increase in urban environments and more interaction and some mobility
between social classes.

the political structure of italy helped support the renaissance because there was no centralized monarchy,
instead italy had independent _______________.

changes in art, literature, and scholarship were influenced by the interest italians had in the ancient greeks
and _______________.

one of the richest city-states was _______________, which was at the center of major trade routes. it had
been built into a strong centralized state with a beneficial tax system by visconti and _______________
rulers.

the northern italian city-state of _______________ served as a link between the continent of
_______________ and western europe, and it became very wealthy because of its massive trade empire
and shipbuilding industry. in the northern italian region of tuscany, florence became a major power because
of its cloth manufacturing and banking, which was greatly benefitted by the _______________ family, who
eventually controlled the city-state.

naples, in southern italy, became occupied by french forces led by king _______________ in the late
1400s, and spain and france battled for control of parts of italy for decades.

Explanation:

1st Blank:

The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) killed millions in the Middle Ages, ending before the Renaissance.

Italy in the Renaissance had independent city - states (like Florence, Venice) instead of a centralized monarchy.

Renaissance art, literature, etc., were influenced by interest in ancient Greeks and Romans (classical antiquity).

Answer:

the Black Death (or Bubonic Plague)

2nd Blank: