I feel this is a particularly misunderstood period and would very much appreciate some factual historical answers to this question. Often the church is considered a bulwark against advancement, in science in particular, but also its impossible to escape that many of the artistic masterpieces of the era were religious, sponsored by the church and in general usually about christianity.

What sort of mechanism did they use to exert their will on the artistic (and educational) world and what were the main goals of the church in carrying out their will?

What role did the church have in facilitating or hindering the advancements made at the time, in Italy in particular. I understand that the renaissance is a modern idea for a long period of time that involved slow change.