Giotto, a pre-Renaissance artist and architect, was born 20 miles North of Florence Italy in the valley of the Mugello - it was described by his admirer John Ruskin as a lonely landscape. There were rugged mountains, rough ground, and olive trees. There were no gardens or lush landscapes for Giotto to use as a reference for his artwork. Giotto was supposedly born around the year 1267. This is not factual but a written chronicle said that he died in 1337 at the age of about 70. Even Giotto's birthplace is up for questioning; it's thought that he also grew up in Vespignano. I would just conclude he was born in Italy.
             Giotto was the son of a farmer, so naturally, he grew up like any boy from the country doing chores and working hard. But one day while doing his chores one of the famous painters of the day, Cimabue spotted him. Giotto was spotted drawing the sheep of the fields, and to his surprise, they were ridiculously realistic to the actual sheep themselves. So from then on Giotto's door to the world of art was unlocked.
             A 16th-century biographer of artists Giorgio Vasari described Giotto as being a quick-minded boy. So not surprising, Cimabue asked Giotto to join him on his trip and stay with him. Cimabue got permission from Giotto's father and they were on their way. (This is not completely factual but what is from this long ago. All the stories pretty much say Cimabue found him.)
             Descriptions of Giotto's physical features are not very pleasant. He was supposedly pretty ugly, even in his youth. None of that mattered and anyways, he was extremely talented and very smart. By the time Giotto was older and on the scene, Florence was in a bad state, so he witnessed the cruel un humane nature of people at that time period. During this time he wrote an epic poem called the divine comedy. Giotto viewed the city as, "a pragmatist, levelheaded, sardonic and frankly materialistic: in time he would profit heavily ...