The Spanish Renaissance occurred during much of the 16th century in a period of great changes and improvements in literature: such as poetry, drama, and prose. The war between Italy and Spain in the second half of the 15th century resulted in a notable cultural exchange between the two countries. The most significant Spanish works were published or translated in Italy such as Amadís de Gaula, La Celestina, Cárcel de Amor, poetic compositions by Jorge Manrique, Íñigo López de Mendoza, Marqués de Santillana. Popular productions such as novels and Christmas carols were also translated and the same thing happened in Spain with Italian operas. The relations between Spain and Italy were very important, as they brought the concerns raised by the Renaissance to the Peninsula. The Renaissance appears in Spain with characteristics such as the coexistence of traditional religion with new national philosophies and ideas with new European currents. During the reign of Charles V, relations between Spain and Italy improved and the influence of Italianism in the works of Spanish women increased. The Renaissance made much use of the art of the Italians of the 14th and 15th centuries. The Italian influence on Spanish poetry is evident in many respects. The Spanish imitate Italian poetic forms, such as the hendecasyllable, relegating the octosyllable to a secondary level. The hendecasyllabic verse was used in strophic combinations such as the sonnet, the tercet, the real octave, the lyre and the silva. The new style gives rise to a richer, subtler, more lyrical and intimate poetic language that is based on the neoclassical notion of harmony and balance (Bianco 27). Petrarch, an Italian scholar, poet, and humanist was a major force in the development of the Renaissance Petrarch is perhaps most famous for his poems addressed to Laura, an idealized beloved whom he met in 1327 and died in 1348. Petrarch saw her for the. first time in the church of Santa Clara. According to several modern scholars, it is possible that Laura was a fictional character. However, she was a more realistic female character than that presented in traditional troubadour songs or courtly love literature. Petrarch was considered the greatest scholar of his time, combining an interest in classical culture and Christianity and leaving a profound influence on the literature of all of Western Europe. The first great practitioner of the sonnet, Petrarch is credited with the development and popularization of the Italian sonnet, the so-called Petrarchan sonnet..