Final answer:
The growth of commerce and wealth in Italian city-states was a key factor that contributed to the start of the European Renaissance, fostering a wealthy class that invested in the arts and humanist learning.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the main factors that contributed to the start of the European Renaissance was B) The growth of commerce and personal wealth in Italian city-states. This growth led to an increase in trade, which allowed for a class of bankers, merchants, and skilled artisans to thrive. These groups had surplus wealth to spend on luxury goods and invest in the arts and education, laying the groundwork for a cultural revolution. The Renaissance was a period that moved beyond medieval values, embracing humanistic learning and validating the idea of a heliocentric universe. Cities like Venice, Florence, and Milan became rich due to commerce and played a crucial role in the emergence of the Renaissance by funding art and innovation.
Furthermore, the decline of feudalism and the resulting labor shortage after the Black Death led to increased wages and a wealthier population with disposable income (18. d). The migration of Greek scholars and texts to Italy after the Fall of Constantinople also contributed to the flowering of new ideas (Beginnings). Meanwhile, in Northern Italy, the rise of the urban communes and the mercantile governing class reshaped the feudal aristocratic model that had prevailed (The Rise of the Merchant Class).