During the renaissance artists often turned to what for inspiration

There are a few answers to this question; religion (specifically the Bible), Ancient Greece and Rome, and emotions. The renaissance had much more realistic and emotional pieces than what was seen before. 

Americans often speak of their country as one of several large regions.  these regions are cultural units rather than governmental units --  formed by history and geography and shaped by the economics, literature and folkways that all the parts of a region share. what makes one region different from another? a region's multicultural heritage as well as distinct demographic characteristics like age and occupation make regions different and special. within several regions, language is used differently and there are strong dialects. there are also differences in outlook and attitude based on geography.