<P> Italian architects had always preferred forms that were clearly defined and structural members that expressed their purpose . Many Tuscan Romanesque buildings demonstrate these characteristics, as seen in the Florence Baptistery and Pisa Cathedral . </P> <P> Italy had never fully adopted the Gothic style of architecture . Apart from the Cathedral of Milan, (influenced by French Rayonnant Gothic), few Italian churches show the emphasis on vertical, the clustered shafts, ornate tracery and complex ribbed vaulting that characterise Gothic in other parts of Europe . </P> <P> The presence, particularly in Rome, of ancient architectural remains showing the ordered Classical style provided an inspiration to artists at a time when philosophy was also turning towards the Classical . </P> <P> In the 15th century, Florence, Venice and Naples extended their power through much of the area that surrounded them, making the movement of artists possible . This enabled Florence to have significant artistic influence in Milan, and through Milan, France . </P>

Where did italian renaissance architects get their inspiration