The Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, as two significant developments, hastened the dissolution of the feudal system. Having begun in Italy and spread across Europe, the Renaissance gave birth to the idea of stato _the core of the modern secular state_. Now European monarchs became keen to assert their sovereignty both internally and externally. Next, the Reformation weakened the political authority of the Catholic Church over European rulers. As of the middle of the sixteenth century Europe was divided into two main camps: Catholic and Protestant. This division was political as much as religious, because there was a power struggle between rulers who had obtained their legitimacy by allying with the Pope and those who had challenged or confronted his authority. The Reformation had considerable political impact, since it reinforced the spread of independent states across Europe. As is also understood from the information given, the correct answer is D. The spread of independent states across Europe and the idea of stato, the core of the modern secular state are among the political impacts of the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation in Europe.