This period of European cultural history starts in the hothouse of the Italian city-states but will soon spread all over Western Europe. The period will end with the upheaval of the Reformation and Counter-
Reformation. It is a period where polyphony becomes more and more finely tuned. It is also a period where secular music begins to rise in importance, where music for dances, celebrations and home entertainment is just as important as the music of the cathedral and parish churches.