The Renaissance ultimately led to a lasting transformation of culture and life with significant advances in architecture, urban planning, large-scale artistic projects and pocket-sized timepieces – it ushered in a new era of innovation and thinking across a Europe emerging out of the Dark Ages. The four-century period witnessed the majestic creations of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. The city of Florence – the birthplace of the Renaissance – was akin to our Silicon Valley with the convergence of innovation, philanthropy and philosophy. The world’s horizons expanded with breakthroughs in navigation. As a symbol of human achievement and progress, the Renaissance has had a lasting impact on our world – even today. In Italy, the government used its theme in a campaign showing nature sprouting life and people removing their masks to promote hope for the future with the latest vaccines against Covid-19.