Final answer:
The influential body of water for trade during the Italian Renaissance and a route for Jewish escape during the Reformation is the Mediterranean Sea. It enabled the prosperity of Italian trade cities and the cultural bloom of the Renaissance, and it spurred European explorers to find new trade routes to Asia during the Age of Discovery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major body of water that was influential to trading during the Renaissance in Italy and also served as an escape route for Jews during the Reformation period is the Mediterranean Sea (a). This sea was central to the economic boom as it facilitated extensive maritime trade between East and West. Cities like Venice prospered greatly through trade with Islamic merchants, and goods were transported among various port cities in Europe and the wider Mediterranean. The economic wealth generated from this trade contributed to the flourishing of arts and culture during the Renaissance.
Italian trade cities became hubs for commerce and the redistribution of goods, which were initially imported to Italy from the Levant. As such, the Mediterranean Sea served as an integral part of the trade routes, enabling the exchange of commodities like spices, silks, and precious metals that were coveted throughout Europe. This heavy reliance on the Mediterranean Sea's trade routes propelled many European explorers to search for alternative paths to Asia, seeking to avoid the taxes levied by middlemen in the Ottoman-controlled territories, and sparking the Age of Discovery.