The Florentine Camerata was a group of Italian musicians, poets, and intellectuals active in the late 16th century in Florence, Italy. They aimed to revive the ancient Greek drama by creating a new form of musical theater, which emphasized the importance of vocal expression and clarity of text. This movement laid the groundwork for the development of opera. Key figures in the Camerata included Giulio Caccini, Francesco Corteccia, and Vincenzo Galilei, who believed that music should enhance the emotional impact of the lyrics. Their experiments with monody, a style featuring a single melodic line with instrumental accompaniment, significantly influenced the evolution of Western music.