The book tells about the formation of the Italian Renaissance - a wonderful era in the history of European civilization. The main attention is paid to the analysis of individual stages in the development of the early Renaissance (XIV century - the first half of the XV century), the characterization of the work of Dante, Petrarch, as well as the views of the next century, primarily Alberti. ML Abramson is a doctor of historical sciences, professor, author of many works on the socio-economic and cultural history of Italy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.