Renaissance
Many argue that the ideas characterizing the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th-century Florence, in particular with the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Petrarch (1304–1374), as well as the paintings of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337). Some writers date the Renaissance quite precisely; one proposed starting point is 1401, when the rival geniuses Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi competed for the contract to build the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral (Ghiberti won). Others see more general competition between artists and polymaths such as Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Masaccio for artistic commissions as sparking the creativity of the Renaissance. Yet it remains much debated why the Renaissance began in Italy, and why it began when it did. Accordingly, several theories have been put forward to explain its origins.
American Renaissance (magazine)
"American Renaissance" has held conferences since 1994. Anti-racist activists were sometimes successful in persuading private hotels to cancel their reservations with "American Renaissance". In 2011, the publication planned to hold a three-day conference at a Sheraton Airport hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. The hotel cancelled the group's booking amid plans by anti-racism activists and the Jewish Defense Organization to protest at the conference cite. The mayor pro tem of the city also reportedly contacted the hotel.