The timing of the Renaissance coincided with some of the crises of the Middle Ages described in the last chapter. Most of Europe remained resolutely “medieval”. The ways of life, forms of technology, ...The timing of the Renaissance coincided with some of the crises of the Middle Ages described in the last chapter. Most of Europe remained resolutely “medieval”. The ways of life, forms of technology, and political structure did not suddenly change with the flowering of the Renaissance. Thumbanil: Lorenzo de' Medici was the de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. (Public Domain; via Wikipedia).