I was actually referring to precisely that. And sponsoring Renaissance artists and scientist contributed to the eminence of Florentin. Control over the Church

I was actually referring to precisely that. And sponsoring Renaissance artists and scientist contributed to the eminence of Florentin. Control over the Church was rarely as useful within Italy as outside of it. The papacy always had strong enemies on the peninsula. Much of its policy was dedicated to keep them divided and to ensure that those didn't ally with outside powers.