The Renaissance was a time of rebirth - a time when new things were discovered in science, math, and in the arts. It was a time when people began to study and learn from the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and break away from the ways of thinking of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance began in Italy, and specifically, Florence, Italy became the birthplace of the Renaissance, mainly because of the power and influence of Medici family. The Medici's controlled Europe's largest bank and "dominated the ruling class of Florence" (Hankins 233). Florence had no set rulers, and because the Medici family was so wealthy and politically influential, they controlled much of politics and government in the city of Florence. They supported the idea of growing and learning new things, and paid for many projects done by some of the greatest thinkers and artists of that time. The first person in the Medici family to really start having an interest in the arts was just a simple banker named Giovanni de Medici. He started paying artists like Masaccio and Brunelleschi to make artwork, design, and decorate buildings. Masaccio or Thommaso Cassai was one of the first artists to use scientific perspective in his paintings (Finnan). Brunelleschi was an architect who wanted to come up with new and different ideas in art. Giovanni was so successful because he took risks and was an excellent businessman. Other family members followed in Giovanni's footsteps. Giovanni's son Cosimo de Medici also supported the arts. "He supported Vasari who created the Uiffizi, one of the world's greatest art galleries and founded the Academy of Design" (Finnan). Lorenzo de Medici ruled during the golden age of the Renaissance. He paid for works by different artists including Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo lived with Lorenzo and made paintings for the Medici family. Lorenzo was uneducated, so business work was difficult for him. He hired Vasari to help him in business. Vasari was also an artist and actually fixed part of Michelangelo's "David" which can still be seen to this day. Ferdinando de Medici was focused less on art and more on science. He gave Galileo a place to stay