Evaluate the significance of the patronage of Lorenzo de Medici and Ludovico Sforza in the development of the Italian Renaissance.

Candidates are required to make an appraisal of the role and significance that the patronage of both Lorenzo de Medici and Ludovico Sforza had on the Renaissance. There are several ways in which they were significant, including support for artists, the commissions they gave, the range of artists and activities they supported and the time and impact of their influence on the Renaissance overall. Some may argue that Lorenzo was of more significance by referring to the “Golden Age of Lorenzo”, others that he did not commission much work but ensured artists found patrons. He extended the Medici Library and supported the spread of intellectual ideas. Sforza also provided an environment in which artists flourished encouraged by his wife. He supported the building of Milan Cathedral and universities in Pavia and Milan. Critical commentary should be linked to the “development” of the Renaissance.