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The Ottomans besieged the city for fifty-three days and blockaded Constantinople by land and sea. The defenders fought valiantly against the Turks and threw back several assaults. The Ottomans used their heavy cannons to breach the walls, and they swarmed into Constantinople. After the walls fell the Byzantine Emperor was killed in battle. The Italians who fought the Byzantines survived the siege and managed to bring many citizens of Constantinople with them to Italy.
====How did the introduction of ancient Greek scholars and scholarship from Byzatium change the Italian Renaissance==? ==
The fall of Constantinople and the remaining Byzantine territories led to a flood of refugees traveling to Europe and Western Europe. Many settled in Italy, and in particular, many scholars found refuge in Italy. These refugees included grammarians, humanists, poets, writers, printers, lecturers, musicians, astronomers, architects, scribes, philosophers, scientists, politicians, and theologians. They brought with them manuscripts from the destroyed libraries of Constantinople and other Byzantine cities.<ref> Deno J. Geanakoplos, [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0208016155/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0208016155&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=bc6767fb9c8aae8c080f08a6bc0a2deb Byzantine East and Latin West: Two Worlds of Christendom in Middle Ages and Renaissance] (Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 1966), p. 117</ref>
Before the 15th century, the Italian humanist has been preoccupied with the study of rhetoric. They were not really interested in metaphysical speculation. However, this was to change with the introduction of Plato's complete works for the first time. The dialogues of the Fifth-century Athenian philosopher was to transform the views of many humanists.
In Florence, the works of Plato led to the development of a neo-Platonist school of philosophy. The introduction of the thought of Plato led to a greater focus on metaphysical rather than ethical speculations. The Greek scholars also brought original copies of the works of Aristotle. Previously the works of this great thinker were only available through Arab commentaries, especially those of Averroes. For the first time after the fall of Constantinople, Italian humanists could study this philosopher's work under the guidance of Byzantine refugees. This led to a new appreciation of the Greek and his thought, and many argue that it influences the humanists' concept of Virtu or excellence.<ref>Deno, p. 118</ref>
The Aristotelian notion of Virtu was one that was widely used by Italian thinkers. Machiavelli utilized it in his study of power and history. The new manuscripts and the commentaries on Aristotle showed the Italians a new side of the great thinker, which was not previously available. They learned that Aristotle emphasized the role of empirical study and investigation and that experiment was necessary to establish the truth. The Aristotelian emphasis on practical knowledge (praxis) encouraged many Italian scholars to adopt a greater emphasis on observation and experiment, which helped foster the growth of science in Italy.<ref>Deno, p. 187</ref>
