Part of our class discussion on Monday centers around the role political advisers play during the Renaissance. With some research, it appears that political patronage we see today goes all the way back to the Renaissance and even feudal Japan. During the Renaissance, 15 to 16th century, patronage is an important tool for rulers to maintain power and control. For instance, rulers and princes would promote certain individuals they find worthy so as to elevate the prestige of the court and even the city itself. It is interesting however, that patronage need not always be about politics. Courts can promote artists and humanists if they found their work interesting and exciting. This is not surprising because the Renaissance is a period where arts and humanities are particularly emphasized. The use of patronage allows the culture of the courts and the families that rule over cities to reinvent itself. For instance, patronage allows the courts to bring in artists and authors with new insight and innovative ideas, thus mixing elements of medieval chivalry with Renaissance Humanism. This reinvention of oneself, especially its culture, also helps to elevate a court’s prestige and to show off its knowledge and wealth. Because of this emphasis on knowledge, many families also began educating their heirs in the humanities, which is basically a liberal arts education.