Where was the Renaissance and who was involved?

The Renaissance was a cultural movement which began in the late-fourteenth century and lasted until the 1600s. 

This movement began in the city-states of Italy where scholars and artists rediscovered the works of Ancient Greece and Roman and became inspired by its messages and ideas. Historians often consider Florence to be the birthplace of the Renaissance because its had a large number of wealthy merchants and bankers who were able to patronise many writers and artists.

From Italy, the Renaissance spread to the rest of Northern Europe: England, France, Spain Germany, Portugal, Hungary and the Netherlands all experienced a cultural Renaissance. Its influence was even felt in places as far away as Russia where new styles of architecture which were fashionable in Italy were introduced by Prince Ivan III.