During the renaissance, italian cities became centers of

The right answer is “banking”

Explanation:

The first bank that was founded was in Florence in the Renaissance whose name was the Medici Bank, in 1397. It introduced the extension of credit, practiced the compromise loans to clients in distant nations, engrossed new and good clients to Italy and help to make easy the trade of goods. It has operations in the big cities of Italy, and in its hometown as well, such as Venice and Genoa.  

25. twelve tables

26. having important positions chosen by lot

it foreshadows the theme of the paragraph and hints the topic that will be discussed in the paragraph!