The Florentine Camerata
The Florentine Camerata were an important group of musical amateurs who met to discuss literature, science and the arts. The earliest recorded meeting was 14 January 1573 at Count Giovanni Bardi's house. The group was not formally organized, and it is unclear as to who all might have participated in the discussions. It is known that Vincenzo Galilei and Giulo Caccini frequented the group, but it is likely that Jacopo Peri, Ottavio Rinuccini and Girolamo Mei also participated. Members of the Camerata were largely concerned with a revival of the Greek dramatic style. It is from these experimentations that the stile recitativo was invented. It was thought that the Greeks used a style between speech and song, and this is what this development produced. This style was used in several monodies and intermedi of the day, but became primarily linked with the development of opera. It is indeed the formulation of opera in the realm of music that both Florence and the Florentine Camerata are most famous for.
Sources:
Palisca, Claude. The Florentine Camerata. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1989.