▁in ▁the ▁crow ded ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁towns , ▁where ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁innov ations ▁lay . ▁Rec urr ences ▁of ▁the ▁pl ague ▁and ▁other ▁dis aster s ▁caused ▁a ▁continu ing ▁decl ine ▁of ▁population ▁for ▁a ▁century . ▁ ▁Renaissance ▁( 1 5 th ▁century ) ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁saw ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁cultural ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁Renaissance . ▁The ▁redis cover y ▁of ▁Greek ▁scientific ▁texts , ▁both ▁ancient ▁and ▁medieval , ▁was ▁acceler ated ▁as ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁fell ▁to ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁many ▁By z antine ▁sch ol ars ▁sought ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁West , ▁particularly ▁Italy . ▁▁ ▁Also , ▁the ▁in vention ▁of ▁printing ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁great ▁effect ▁on ▁European ▁society : ▁the ▁facil itated ▁dis sem ination ▁of ▁the ▁printed ▁word ▁dem ocrat ized ▁learning ▁and ▁allowed ▁a ▁faster ▁propag ation ▁of ▁new ▁ideas . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁moved ▁to ▁Northern ▁Europe ▁that ▁science ▁would ▁be ▁rev ived , ▁by ▁figures ▁as ▁Cop ern icus , ▁Francis ▁Ba con , ▁and ▁Des cart es ▁( though ▁Des cart es ▁is ▁often ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁En light en ment ▁think er , ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁late ▁Renaissance ▁one ). ▁ ▁By z antine ▁and ▁Islam ic ▁influ ences ▁ ▁By z antine ▁interactions ▁By z antine ▁science ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁transmission ▁of ▁classical ▁knowledge ▁to ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁world ▁and ▁to ▁Renaissance ▁Italy , ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁transmission