uring the 15th century, the southern Balkan peninsula was marked by wars and the Ottoman penetration of the mainland. By the end of the century, the Byzantine Empire was on the point of collapse, and as a result the scholars and the artists who had been living in Constantinople or in Mystras, the last Byzantine bulwark, had to move west. Their initial destination was Renaissance Italy, where art and literature flourished. Along with the scholars, aristocrats and noble descendants of the Byzantine court also left for Western Europe. The turbulent 15th century provoked the movement of populations within the Balkans; people, trying to escape advancing armies and war, but who did not have the means to go abroad. The scholars who found refuge abroad brought the West not only manuscripts but also great learning and made a key contribution to the development of classical studies and brought Byzantine literature to new audiences. Those who remained in Italy often taught at the universities, while others left for countries like Spain, England and France.