What triggered the Renaissance?

The answer

The Renaissance (roughly 14th–17th century) was catalyzed by several converging forces: the Black Death created labor shortages that empowered the middle class; the fall of Constantinople in 1453 sent Greek scholars fleeing to Italy with classical manuscripts Europe had forgotten; wealthy merchant families like the Medici in Florence bankrolled artists and thinkers; and the rediscovery of Roman and Greek philosophy sparked a cultural shift from religious dogma to humanist inquiry. The result was an explosion of art, science, and exploration that reshaped Western civilization.