The Medici family ruled the city of Florence during the Renaissance. They were wool makers and bankers. They profited greatly of both businesses and became extremely wealthy.They are the most famous for the patronage of the arts. The family gained much of their power and
wealth through the Medici Bank. This made them one of the richest families in all of Europe.
It Is also the largest bank in Europe and was very well respected. The bank made
improvements in accounting procedures including the development of the double-entry
bookkeeping system. The founder of the bank is Giovanni de Medici.

Martin Luther was a monk who questioned the practice of the Catholic Church as he studied the bible. On October 31,1517 he took a list of 95 points of were he disagreed with the church and he nailed it to the door. After this, the Catholics began to loose money. He waskicked out of the church and called a heretic. Many people agreed with Martin Luther and began to separate from the church. This had led to war.

Johannes Gutenburg had invented the printing press which is often referred to as the greatest invention of all time. He was born in Mainz, Germany around 1398. He came up with the idea of movable type. The printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe and thousands of books had been printed. This allowed the Gutenburg Bible to be available more quickly to the people. Producing the bible was where his real fame came from.

Raphael was a architect and a artist. He was born on April 6, 1483 in Italy. He had learned the basics of painting from his father. When Raphael was 11 his father died. Raphael had honered his fathers skill as an artist. He gained the reputation of one of the most skilled artists in his city. He continued his painting learning from Pietro Perugineu, another famous artist. Raphael's fame had spread to Rome. He was invited to decorate some rooms in the Vatican by Pope Julius the second. Here he painted his greatest work of art, The School of Athens. Other famous works of art were the Sistine Chapel, a Portrait of Pope Julius The Second, and The Transfiguration.