Two time capsules were found during the renovation works of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. A time capsule dates back to the Renaissance period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of the Birth of Venus, a lute, a drawing of the dome of the Florence Cathedral, and a book titled The Decameron. The second time capsule contained artifacts from the Baroque period. Artifacts in this time capsule included a painting of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp's Anatomy Lesson, a scene painting in an opera house, a canvas painting of St. Petersburg, and a play titled Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. These artifacts give us a glimpse of world events, and cultural patterns in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The first artifact pulled from the Renaissance time capsule is the painting titled The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1487. The Birth of Venus was painted using tempera on a canvas medium that is approximately 5 feet. 9 inches by 9.5 feet. This painting shows the birth of the goddess Venus and three other gods, and the watching deity. Venus emerges from a pearlescent scallop as an adult (Fiero, 2011). Many people have pondered the larger meaning of this painting. During this period, people rediscovered and studied the ancient Greeks. Their artwork reflected not only the ancient Greeks, but also the artist's interpretation of Greek mythology. This painting also shows how artists did not focus on creating religious art, but began to base their works on other studies such as mythology. Under the painting The Birth of Venus was a lute. The lute is a stringed instrument that was played during the Renaissance by plucking the strings. In the Renaissance period secular composition...... half of the paper......class. This play also reflects the initial class structure of early modern European society. European society was based on sex and class (Fiero, 2011). Time capsules gave people the opportunity to look back into the history of the Renaissance and Baroque eras and the patterns of their cultures. The artifacts in the time capsules will also help people understand the events that were happening in the world during these time periods and what effect they had on those people. Understanding the past helps people understand their culture today. Works Cited Fiero, GK (2011). The Humanistic Tradition, Book 4: Faith, Reason, and Power in the Early Modern World (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Fiero, G. K. (2011). The Humanistic Tradition, Book 3: The European Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Global Encounter (6th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw Hill.