RENAISSANCE NUMBER CRUNCHERS' GIFT TO HISTORY.

The article discusses research into the financial accounts of merchants and charity organizations of Renaissance-era Prato, Italy by scholars at Monash University in Australia. According to the article, documents and materials from the state archives of Italy have provided Medieval and Renaissance historians with details related to the social aspects of life in Prato, specifically its impact on the economics and politics of nearby civilizations in Florence, Italy. Comments from Monash Associate Professor Peter Howard are provided regarding the collaborative Prato Consortium for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and details related to the establishment of the Bill Kent Library, located at the Monash Prato Centre in Italy, are presented.