NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Late Medieval

The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (1300–1500 CE). The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Modern Era. Domenico di Michelino Dante and His Poem (1465) fresco, in the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (Florences cathedral). ... Domenico di Michelino Dante and His Poem (1465) fresco, in the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (Florences cathedral). ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Michelinos fresco Dante and his Work in the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. ... This article discusses the history of the continent of Europe. ... Periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide historical time into discrete named blocks. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, a significant architectural contribution of the High Middle Ages. ... The terms Modern World, Modern Period, New World, Modern Times, Progressive Age, Modern Age, or Modern Era are recognized by historians as being that period of time commencing after the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, after the mid-18th century. ...

Around 1300, centuries of European prosperity and growth came to a halt. A series of famines and plagues, such as the Great Famine of 1315-1317 and the Black Death, reduced the population perhaps by half. This was partly due to a climate change caused by the end of the Medieval Warm Period and the start of the Little Ice Age, partly a Malthusian catastrophe caused by overpopulation. Along with depopulation came social unrest and endemic warfare. France and England experienced serious peasant risings (the Jacquerie and the Peasants' Revolt), and the Hundred Years' War. The unity of the Catholic Church was shattered by the Great Schism. Events Beginning of the Renaissance. ... A satellite composite image of Europe World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 kmÂ² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Great Famine of 1315-1317 (or to 1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century, causing millions of deaths over an extended number of years and marking a clear end to an earlier period of growth and prosperity... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... The Medieval Warm Period (MWP) or Medieval Climate Optimum was an unusually warm period during the European Medieval period, lasting from about the 10th century to about the 14th century. ... The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of cooling lasting approximately from the mid-14th to the mid-19th centuries. ... A Malthusian catastrophe, sometimes known as a Malthusian check, is a return to subsistence-level conditions as a result of agricultural (or, in later formulations, economic) production being eventually outstripped by growth in population. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/kmÂ² Ethnicity... The Jacquerie in Froissarts chronicles The Jacquerie was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe that took place in northern France in 1358, during the Hundred Years War. ... The Peasants Revolt, Tylerâ€™s Rebellion or Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. ... A map of Europe in the 1430s, at the height of the Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War is the name modern historians give to what was actually a series of related armed conflicts fought over a 116-year period between the Kingdom of England and France, beginning in... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... Historical map of the Western Schism The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church in 1378. ...

On the other hand, the 14th century was also a time of great progress within the arts and sciences. The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts led to what contemporaries termed the Renaissance – the rebirth. This process had started already through contact with the Arabs during the Crusades, but accelerated with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, when many Byzantine scholars had to seek refuge in the West, particularly Italy. Meanwhile, the invention of printing was to have great effect on European society. The facilitated dissemination of the printed word democratized learning and reduced the power of the Catholic Church. The result would eventually be the Protestant Reformation. The growth of the Ottoman Empire, culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453 (incidentally also the year counted as the end of the Hundred Years' War), cut off trading possibilities with the east. But Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492, and Vasco da Gama’s circumnavigation of Africa in 1498, opened up new trade routs, strengthening the economy and power of European nations. Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ... Map of Constantinople. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... The folder of newspaper web offset printing press Printing is an industrial process for mass production of texts and images, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... Christopher Columbus (conjectural image) For information about the film director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Map of the Americas by Jonghe, c. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ... Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama (c. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous. ... Events Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visits Quelimane and MoÃ§ambique in southeastern Africa. ...

All these developments taken together make it convenient to talk of an end to the Middle Ages, and the beginning of the modern world. It should be noted that the division will always be a somewhat artificial one, since ancient learning was never entirely absent from European society, and therefore there is a certain continuity between the Classical and the Modern age. Also, some historians, particularly in Italy, prefer not to speak of the Late Middle Ages at all, but rather see the 14th century Renaissance as a direct transition to the Modern Era. Classical antiquity is a broad and perhaps misleading term for a long period of European, Middle East and North African history, that begins roughly with the earliest recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire...

Historical events and politics

Britain

The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 effectively ended English aspirations of subjugating Scotland, and the Scottish were able to develop a strong state under the Stuarts. From 1337, England’s attention was largely directed towards France in the Hundred Years' War. Henry V’s victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 briefly paved the way for a unification of the two kingdoms, but his son Henry VI, soon squandered all previous gains. Almost immediately upon the end of the war, in 1453, followed the dynastic struggles of the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). The war ended in the accession of Henry VII, and the strong, centralized Tudor monarchy. While England’s attention was thus directed elsewhere, Ireland was allowed to develop virtual independence under English overlordship. MediÃ¦val Britain is a term used to suggest that there is a unity to the history of Great Britain from the 5th centurys withdrawal of Roman forces and Germanic invasions until the 16th century Reformations in Scotland and England. ... The Battle of Bannockburn (June 23, 1314 â€“ June 24, 1314) was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. ... Events June 24 - Battle of Bannockburn. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status English Scottish Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 kmÂ² 1. ... The House of Stuart or Stewart was a Scottish, and then British, Royal House of Breton origin. ... This page concerns 1337, the year. ... Henry V Henry V, (August 9 or September 16, 1387 – August 31, 1422), King of England, son of Henry IV by Mary de Bohun, was born at Monmouth, Wales, in September 1387. ... The Battle of Agincourt was fought on October 25, 1415, Saint Crispins Day, in northern France as part of the Hundred Years War. ... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 â€“ May 21/22, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... The Wars of the Roses (1455â€“1487) is the name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ... Events February 9 - Wars of the Roses: Richard, Duke of York dismissed as Protector February 23 - Johannes Gutenberg prints the first Bible on a printing press May 22 - Wars of the Roses: First Battle of St Albans - Richard, Duke of York and his ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick defeat... Events August 22 - Battle of Bosworth Field is fought between the armies of King Richard III of England and rival claimant to the throne of England Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 â€“ April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 â€“ April 21, 1509), was the founder of the Tudor dynasty. ... The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh Tudur) is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England from 1485 until 1603. ...

Scandinavia

After the failed union of Sweden and Norway of 1319-1365, the pan-Scandinavian Kalmar Union was instituted in 1397. The Swedes were reluctant members of the Danish-dominated union, and broke away for good in 1523, after the Stockholm Bloodbath in 1520. Norway, on the other hand, became an inferior party, and remained united with Denmark until 1814. Events Magnus VII ascends the throne of Norway and unites the country with Sweden. ... Events Foundation of the University of Vienna Births Christine de Pizan, noted author Deaths Duke Rudolf IV of Austria the Founder, died July 27 Office holders Holy Roman Empire - Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1355-1378) Austria - Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria Categories: 1365 ... The Kalmar Union (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish: Kalmarunionen) was a series of personal unions (1397–1520) that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch. ... Events February 10 - John Beaufort becomes Earl of Somerset. ... Events April - Battle of Villalar - Forces loyal to Emperor Charles V defeat the Comuneros, a league of urban bourgeois rebelling against Charles in Spain. ... Stockholm Bloodbath - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Events January 18 - King Christian II of Denmark and Norway defeats the Swedes at Lake Asunde. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The Norwegian colony on Greenland died out under mysterious circumstances in the 15th century.

Western and Central Europe

The French Valois Monarchy, that followed the Capetian Dynasty in 1328, was at its outset virtually marginalized in its own country, partly by the English invading forces of the Hundred Years’ War, partly by the powerful Duchy of Burgundy. The appearance of Joan of Arc on the scene changed the course of war in favour of the French, and under Louis XI Burgundy was also subjugated. During the latter years of the elderly Charlemagnes rule, the Vikings made advances along the northern and western perimeters of his kingdom. ... While the German people were not fully unified into a single political unit until the late 19th century, they exerted a tremendous influence upon Western civilization from its very beginnings. ... Download high resolution version (508x768, 119 KB) Image of Joan of Arc, painted between 1450 and 1500 (Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, AE II 2490). ... Download high resolution version (508x768, 119 KB) Image of Joan of Arc, painted between 1450 and 1500 (Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, AE II 2490). ... Image of Joan of Arc, painted between 1450 and 1500 (Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, AE II 2490). ... The Valois Dynasty succeeded the Capetian Dynasty as rulers of France from 1328-1589. ... The direct Capetian Dynasty followed the Carolingian rulers of France from 987 to 1328. ... Events May 1 - Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton - England recognises Scotland as an independent nation after the Wars of Scottish Independence May 12 - Nicholas V is consecrated at St Peters Basilica in Rome by the bishop of Venice. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of JOSH GARLAND Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic tribes, most importantly the Burgundians and... Image of Joan of Arc, painted between 1450 and 1500 (Centre Historique des Archives Nationales, Paris, AE II 2490). ... Louis XI the Prudent (French: Louis XI le Prudent) (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), also informally nicknamed luniverselle aragne (old French for universal spider), was a King of France (1461 - 1483). ...

In Germany, the Holy Roman Empire passed to the Habsburgs in 1438, where it remained until its dissolution in 1806. The Empire, however, remained fragmented, and much real power and influence was held by financial institutions such as the Hanseatic League and the Fugger family. This page is about the Germanic empire. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... Events Pachacuti who would later create Tahuantinsuyu, or Inca Empire became the ruler of Cuzco January 1 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Hungary March 18 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Germany Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway looses direct control of Sweden. ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse) was an alliance of trading cities that established and maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (ie between the 13th and 17th century). ... The Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers. ...

Southern Europe

The 1469 marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon led to the creation of modern-day Spain. In 1492 Granada was captured from the Moors, thereby completing the Reconquista. Portugal had during the 15th century gradually explored the coast of Africa, and in 1498 Vasco da Gama found the sea route to India. The Spanish monarchs met the Portugese challenge by financing Columbus’s attempt to find the western sea route to India, leading to the discovery of America in the same year as the capture of Granada. After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 409, the history of Medieval Spain begins with the Iberian kingdom of the Arian Visigoths (507 – 711), who were converted to Catholicism with their king Reccared in 587. ... This is the history of Italy during the Middle Ages. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Edgecote Moor October 17 - Prince Ferdinand of Aragon wed princess Isabella of Castile. ... Isabella of Castile Isabella of Castile (Spanish: Isabel, Ysabel or Isabela â€” only Isabel is used in modern Spanish) (April 22, 1451 â€“ November 26, 1504) was Queen of Castile and Leon, with her husband Ferdinand V as co-ruler. ... Ferdinand and his wife Isabella of Castile Ferdinand II (Fernando de AragÃ³n in Spanish and Ferran dAragÃ³ in Catalan), nicknamed the Catholic (March 10, 1452 â€“ June 23, 1516) was king of Aragon, Castile, Sicily, Naples, Valencia, Sardinia and Navarre and Count of Barcelona. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ... Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the community of Andalusia, Spain. ... For the terrain type, see: Heath (habitat). ... For other uses, see Reconquista (Disambiguation). ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous. ... Events Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visits Quelimane and MoÃ§ambique in southeastern Africa. ... Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama (c. ... Christopher Columbus (conjectural image) For information about the film director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Map of the Americas by Jonghe, c. ...

In Italy, Florence grew to prominence among the city-states through financial business. The dominant Medici family became important promoters of the Renaissance through their patronage of the arts. With the return of the Papacy to Rome in 1378, that city once more became a political and cultural metropolis. Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area - City Proper 102 kmÂ² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/kmÂ² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43Â°47 N 11Â°15 E www. ... The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus â€“ SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area - City Proper 1290 kmÂ² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 2,823,210 almost 4,000,000 1... Events March - John Wyclif tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract. ...

Eastern Europe

The Byzantine Empire, had for a long time dominated the southern part of Eastern Europe in politics and culture. By the time of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, it had almost entirely collapsed into a tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, centred on the city of Constantinople and a few enclaves in Greece. From this point on the area was firmly under Turkish control, and remained so until the tide turned at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centred at its capital in Constantinople. ... The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499) The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto Devlet-i Ebed-mÃ¼ddet (Ottoman Turkish for the Eternal State) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Constantinople (Ä°stanbul) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 6. ... Map of Constantinople. ... The Battle of Vienna in 1683 (as distinct from the Siege of Vienna in 1529) marked the turning point in a 300-year struggle between the forces of Central European kingdoms and Ottoman Empire. ... Events June 6 - The Ashmolean Museum opens as the worlds first university museum. ...

In the north, the main development was the enormous growth of the Lithuanian (later Polish-Lithuanian) kingdom. Further east, the defeat of the Mongols, at Kulikovo in 1380, established the principality of Muscovy as a regional power, following the decline of the state of Kievan Rus'. Ivan III, the Great, laid the foundations for a Russian national state. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article refers to the Mongol state in what is now Russia. ... Single combat of Peresvet and Temir-murza. ... Events September 8 - Battle of Kulikovo - Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitrii Ivanovich defeat a mixed army of Tatars and Mongols (the Golden Horde), stopping their advance at Kulikovo. ... Muscovy (Moscow principality (ÐºÐ½ÑÐ¶ÐµÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾ ÐœÐ¾ÑÐºÐ¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¾Ðµ) to Grand Duchy of Moscow (Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾Ðµ ÐšÐ½ÑÐ¶ÐµÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾ ÐœÐ¾ÑÐºÐ¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¾Ðµ) to Russian Tsardom (Ð¦Ð°Ñ€ÑÑ‚Ð²Ð¾ Ð ÑƒÑÑÐºÐ¾Ðµ) is a traditional Western name for the Russian state that existed from the 14th century to the late 17th century. ... Kievan Rusâ€² (Russian: , Kievskaya Rus; Ukrainian: , Kyivsâ€™ka Rusâ€™) was the early, mostly East SlavicÂ¹ state dominated by the city of Kiev (Russian: ÐšÐ¸ÌÐµÐ², Kiev; Ukrainian: ÐšÐ¸ÌÑ—Ð², Kyiv), from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... Albus rex Ivan III Ivan III Vasilevich (Иван III Васильевич) (January 22, 1440 - October 27, 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was a grand duke of Muscovy who first adopted a more pretentious title of the grand duke of all the Russias. Sometimes referred to as the gatherer of...

Climate and agriculture

Around 1300 the Medieval Warm Period gave way to the Little Ice Age. The colder climate resulted in reduced agricultural output; famine, plague and endemic warfare followed. Most notable are the Great Famine of 1315-1317, the Black Death, and the Hundred Years' War. As the population of Europe was reduced by perhaps as much as half, land became more plentiful for the survivors, and labour consequently more expensive. Attempts by landowners to forcibly reduce wages, such as the English 1351 Statute of Laborers, were doomed to fail. The result was the virtual end of serfdom over great parts of Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, there were few large cities with a viable bourgeoisie to act as a counterweight to the great landowners, and these were able to force the pesantry into even more repressive bondage. The Medieval Warm Period (MWP) or Medieval Climate Optimum was an unusually warm period during the European Medieval period, lasting from about the 10th century to about the 14th century. ... The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of cooling lasting approximately from the mid-14th to the mid-19th centuries. ... A famine is a phenomenon in which a large percentage of the population of a region or country are undernourished and death by starvation becomes increasingly common. ... Plague is usually understood as a generic term for Bubonic plague, the mortal disease caused by the bacillus Yersinia pestis, which is spread by fleas from rats to human beings. ... An act of war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan during World War II War is a state of widespread conflict between states, organisations, or relatively large groups of people, which is characterised by the use of violent, physical force between combatants or upon civilians. ... The Great Famine of 1315-1317 (or to 1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century, causing millions of deaths over an extended number of years and marking a clear end to an earlier period of growth and prosperity... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... A map of Europe in the 1430s, at the height of the Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War is the name modern historians give to what was actually a series of related armed conflicts fought over a 116-year period between the Kingdom of England and France, beginning in... Events End of the reign of Emperor Suko of Japan, third of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders May 1 Zürich joins the Swiss Confederation. ... The Statute of Laborers was the reaction of landlords in England when labor prices shot up after the Black Death. ... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century Bourgeoisie (boorzhwÃ¤z-eeÂ´) in modern use refers to the wealthy or propertied classes in a capitalist society. ...

Military developments

Through battles such as Bannockburn (1415) and Grandson (1476) it became clear to the great territorial princes of Europe that the great military advantage of the feudal cavalry was lost, and that a well equipped infantry was preferable. The English held a great advantage over the French in the Hundred Years’ War through the deployment of their highly efficient longbows, originally a Welsh invention. In the long run this development, along with economic and political considerations, would lead to a preference for mercenary forces over the feudal levy. Swiss soldiers were in particularly high demand. Medieval warfare is the warfare of the European Middle Ages. ... The Battle of Bannockburn (June 23, 1314 â€“ June 24, 1314) was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. ... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... Events March 2 - Battle of Grandson. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The longbow (or English longbow, or Welsh longbow, see below) was a type of bow about 2. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps (Luzerner Schilling) During the late Middle Ages, mercenary forces grew in importance in Europe, as veterans from the Hundred Years War preferred to continue living a soldiers life rather than abandoning the military. ...

The invention of gunpowder changed the conduct of war significantly. Not trough the use of firearms in the field of battle, where they would still long remain insignificant, but as siege weapons. The efficiency of cannons to bring down castles meant that the territorial power of the feudal lord was no longer as absolute. Black powder is a type of gunpowder invented in the 9th century and was practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. ... A firearm is a kinetic energy weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. ... A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ...

Both these developments taken together contributed to breaking down the feudal system, and paved the way for the strong, centralized nation state. The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ...

Religion

The Great Schism

From the early 14th century, the Papacy came more and more under the dominance of the French crown, culminating in its transference to Avignon in 1309. When the Pope decided to return to Rome in 1377, different popes were elected in Avignon and Rome, resulting in the Great Schism (1378-1417). The Schism was as much of a political as a religious nature; while England supported the Pope in Rome, her military opponents France and Scotland stood behind the Avignon Papacy. Historical map of the Western Schism The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church in 1378. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... Coat of arms of Avignon Avignon (pronounced in IPA, ProvenÃ§al: Avignoun) is a commune in southern France with some 88,300 inhabitants in the city itself and 155,500 in the Greater Avignon area. ... Events Rhodes falls to forces of the Knights of St. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus â€“ SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area - City Proper 1290 kmÂ² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 2,823,210 almost 4,000,000 1... Events January 17 – Gregory XI enters Rome. ... Historical map of the Western Schism The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church in 1378. ... Events March - John Wyclif tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract. ... Events Antipope Benedict XIII is deposed, and Pope Martin V is elected. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/kmÂ² Ethnicity... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status English Scottish Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 kmÂ² 1. ...

At the Council of Constance (1414-1418) the Papacy was once more united in Rome. Even though the unity of the Western Church was to last for another hundred years, and though the Papal See was to experience greater material prosperity than ever before, the Great Schism had done irreparable damage. The internal struggles within the Church had promoted anti-clericalism among the people and their rulers, and the split had opened up the possibility of reform movements. The Council of Constance was an ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, called by the Emperor Sigismund, a supporter of Antipope John XXIII, the pope recently elected at Pisa. ... Events Council of Constance begins. ... Events May 19 - Capture of Paris by John, Duke of Burgundy September - Beginning of English Siege of Rouen Mircea the Old, ruler of Wallachia dies and is succeeded by Vlad I Uzurpatorul. ... Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious (generally Catholic) institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, and the encroachment of religion in the everyday life of the citizen. ...

Reform movements

John Wyclif

Though the Catholic Church had long fought against heretic movements, in the Late Middle Ages it started to experience demands for reform from within. The first of these came from the Oxford professor John Wyclif in England. Wyclif held that the Bible should be the only authority in religious questions, and spoke out against transubstantiation, celibacy and indulgences. He also made an English translation of the Bible. In spite of influential supporters among the English aristocracy, such as John of Gaunt, Wyclif’s supporters, the Lollards, were eventually suppressed in England. Wycliffe may also refer to Wycliffe Bible Translators John Wyclif (also Wycliffe or Wycliff) (c. ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Wycliffe may also refer to Wycliffe Bible Translators John Wyclif (also Wycliffe or Wycliff) (c. ... Parts of this article contradict each other. ... Transubstantiation is the belief held by many Christian denominations that the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus during Consecration. ... Celibacy may refer either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. ... In Roman Catholic theology, an indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to God for sin. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Lollardy or Lollardry was the political and religious movement of the Lollards in late 14th century and early 15th century England. ...

Jan Hus

The teachings of the Czech priest Jan Hus were based on those of John Wyclif, and had little originality. Yet his followers, the Hussites, were to have a much greater political impact than the Lollards. Hus gained a great following in Bohemia, and when he was burned as a heretic in 1415 it caused a popular uprising. The subsequent Hussite Wars did not result in religious or national independence for the Czechs, but both the Church and the German element within the country were weakened. Jan Hus (1369 Husinec, Southern Bohemia â€“ July 6, 1415 Constance) was a religious thinker and reformer. ... Jan Hus (1369 Husinec, Southern Bohemia â€“ July 6, 1415 Constance) was a religious thinker and reformer. ... The Hussites comprised an early Protestant Christian movement, followers of Jan Hus. ... Bohemia Bohemia is also a place in the State of New York in the USA, see: Bohemia, New York. ... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... The Hussite Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1420 to circa 1434. ...

Martin Luther

Though technically outside the time-period of the Middle Ages, the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther ended the unity of the Western Church - one of the distinguishing characteristics of the medieval period. The Luther seal Martin Luther(November 10, 1483â€“February 18, 1546) was a German theologian and an Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Lutheran, Protestant and other Christian traditions (a broad movement composed of many congregations and church bodies). ... Download high resolution version (600x645, 471 KB)Print quality version of Luther46. ... Download high resolution version (600x645, 471 KB)Print quality version of Luther46. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... The Luther seal Martin Luther(November 10, 1483â€“February 18, 1546) was a German theologian and an Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Lutheran, Protestant and other Christian traditions (a broad movement composed of many congregations and church bodies). ...

Luther, a German monk, started the Reformation by the posting of the 95 theses on the castle church of Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. The immediate provocation behind the act was Pope Leo X’s renewing the indulgence for the building of the new St. Peter's Basilica in 1514. Luther was challenged to recant his heresy at the Diet of Worms in 1521. When he refused, he was placed under the ban of the Empire by Charles V. Receiving the protection of Frederick the Wise, he was then able to translate the Bible into German. The Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, known as the 95 Theses, challenged the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the nature of penance, the authority of the pope and the usefulness of indulgences. ... Statue of Martin Luther in the main square Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a town in Germany, in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, at 12Â° 59 E, 51Â° 51 N, on the Elbe river. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... Events January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh. ... Leo X, nÃ© Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici (December 1, 1475, Florence â€“ December 1, 1521, Rome), pope between 1513 and his death, is known primarily for his failure to stem the Protestant Reformation, which began during his reign when Martin Luther first attacked the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Basilica of Saint Peter from Castel SantAngelo. ... Events March - Louis XII of France makes peace with Emperor Maximilian. ... The Diet of Worms, unlike what its name suggests, was a general assembly (a Diet) of the estates of the Holy Roman Empire that took place in Worms, Germany, a small town on the Rhine river, from January 28 to May 25, 1521, with Emperor Charles V presiding. ... Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. ... Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V (Spanish: Carlos I, Dutch: Karel V, German: Karl V.) (24 February 1500â€“21 September 1558) was effectively (the first) King of Spain from 1516 to 1556 (in principle, he was from 1516 king of Aragon and from 1516 guardian... Friedrich III (January 17, 1463 — May 5, 1525), also known as Frederick the Wise, was Elector of Saxony (from the House of Wettin) from 1486 to his death. ...

To many secular rulers, the Protestant reformation was a welcome opportunity to expand their wealth and influence. The Reformation was met by the Catholic Counter Reformation. Europe was split into a northern Protestant and a southern Catholic part, resulting in the Religious Wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Trade and commerce

Several changes took place in the patterns of European trade in this period. While the Hanseatic League retained their control of the Baltic and North Sea, the Champagne fairs became less important in the north-south trade. Instead the sea route was preferred between Flanders and Italy. Furthermore, English wool merchants more and more started exporting cloth rather than wool, to the detriment of the Dutch cloth manufacturers. Most importantly, the replacement of the Byzantine Empire with the Ottoman Empire made the Levant trade more difficult. As an alternative, new trade routes were opened up – south of Africa to India, and across the Atlantic Ocean to America. The Hanseatic League (German: die Hanse) was an alliance of trading cities that established and maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (ie between the 13th and 17th century). ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainlands of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and the Danish islands. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Champagne is one of the traditional provinces of France, a region of France that is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the regions name. ... Flanders (Flemish, Fleming) (Dutch: Vlaanderen (Vlaams, Vlaming), French: Flandre(s), (flamand, flamand), German: Flandern, (flÃ¤misch, Flame) has two main designations: a constituent nation and a state of the federal Belgian state trough its social and political organisations, and trough the institutions of the Flemish Community (with its... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/kmÂ² Ethnicity... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centred at its capital in Constantinople. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto Devlet-i Ebed-mÃ¼ddet (Ottoman Turkish for the Eternal State) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Constantinople (Ä°stanbul) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 6. ... The Levant or Sham (Arabic root word related to the term Semite) is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous. ... Map of the Americas by Jonghe, c. ...

On the financial field, European nations saw the emergence of trading companies – corporations that would finance large-scale trade and manufacture, often receiving special privileges and monopolies form the state. The greatest financiers, a role previously often held by Jews, would finance the wars of the rulers. Families like the Fuggers in Germany, the Medicis in Italy and the de la Poles in England would achieve great political, as well as economic power. A joint stock company is a special kind of partnership. ... A privilegeâ€”etymologically private law or law relating to a specific individualâ€”is an honour, or permissive activity granted by another person or a government. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Greek monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a kind of product or service. ... Financier (IPA: /ˌfi nãn ˈsjei/) is an elegant term for a person who handles large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. ... The Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers. ... The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. ... The title of Earl of Suffolk has been created several times in the Peerage of England, most recently in 1603 for Thomas Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Walden. ...

Science and technology

The philosopher William of Occam, and his principle known as Occam's Razor, led to a decline in fruitless scholastic debates, and paved the way for experimental science. According to Occam, philosophy should only concern itself with subjects on which it could achieve real knowledge, a principle often referred to as parsimony. Precursors of an experimental science in the Middle Ages can be seen already in the rediscovery of Aristotle, and the works of Roger Bacon. The final challenge to scholasticism was presented by Nicholas Cusanus, whose writings anticipated Copernicus’ heliocentric world-view. The Middle Ages: Western World Map of Medieval Universities See Also: Medieval medicine, Medieval philosophy With the loss of the Western Roman Empire, much of Europe lost contact with the knowledge of the past. ... William of Ockham (also Occam or any of several other spellings) (ca. ... Occams Razor (also spelled Ockhams Razor), is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar, William of Ockham. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100 - 1500. ... // What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... Parsimony, in the general sense, means taking extreme care at arriving at a course of action; or unusual or excessive frugality, extreme economy or stinginess. ... Aristotle (sculpture) Aristotle (Greek: Î‘ÏÎ¹ÏƒÏ„Î¿Ï„ÎÎ»Î·Ï‚ AristotelÄ“s; 384 BC â€“ March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher. ... Statue of Roger Bacon in the Oxford University Museum Roger Bacon (c. ... Nicholas of Cusa Nicholas of Cusa (1401 - August 11, 1464) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church, a philosopher, a mathematician, and an astronomer. ... Nicolaus Copernicus (in Latin; Polish MikoÅ‚aj Kopernik, German Nikolaus Kopernikus); February 19, 1473 â€“ May 24, 1543) was a Polish astronomer, mathematician and economist who developed the heliocentric (Sun-centered) theory of the solar system in a form detailed enough to make it scientifically useful. ... Heliocentric Solar System In astronomy, heliocentrism is the theory that the Sun is at the center of the Universe and/or the Solar System. ...

Most European technical innovations of the 14th and 15th centuries were not original, but in more often of Chinese or Arab origin. The revolutionary aspect lay not in the inventions themselves, but in their application. Though gunpowder had long been known to the Chinese, it was the Europeans who fully realized its military potential, allowing the European expansion and world domination of the Modern Era. Also significant in this respect were advances within the fields of navigation. The compass, astrolabe and sextant, along with advances in shipbuilding, enabled the navigation of the World Oceans. Gutenberg’s printing press made possible not only the Reformation, but also a dissemination of knowledge that would lead to a gradually more egalitarian society. The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ Ê»arab) are an originally Arabian ethnicity widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. ... Gunpowder is a substance which burns very rapidly and is used as a propellant in firearms, specifically either black powder or smokeless powder. ... There are several traditions of navigation. ... This article is about the navigational instrument. ... For the ship of Dumont dUrville, see Astrolabe A 16th century astrolabe. ... A sextant is a measuring instrument used to measure the angle of elevation of a celestial object above the horizon. ... For the gospel rock band, see Ocean (band). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

Culture

Art

The visual arts experienced a tremendous development in the Late Middle Ages; a precursor of the Renaissance can be seen already in the early 13th-century works of Giotto. In painting one speaks of a northern Renaissance, centred on the Low Countries, and an Italian Renaissance with Florence as its hub. While northern art was more concerned with textures and surfaces, as can be seen in the paintings of Jan van Eyck, Italian painters also explored such subjects as anatomy and geometry. The discovery of single-point perspective, attributed to Brunelleschi, was an important step towards optically realistic art. The Italian Renaissance reached its zenith in the art of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. Byzantine art was the high art of the Middle Ages and monumental Church mosaics were the crowing glory. ... Download high resolution version (639x663, 97 KB)Michelangelos Pietà (1499) depicting the dead body of Jesus in the arms of his mother Mary. ... Download high resolution version (639x663, 97 KB)Michelangelos Pietà (1499) depicting the dead body of Jesus in the arms of his mother Mary. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... The visual arts are a class of artforms, including painting, sculpture, photography, and others, that focus on the creation of artworks which are primarily visual in nature. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Statue of Giotto di Bondone, close to the Uffizi. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was originally centered in Italy, but in time spread throughout all of Europe. ... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Italian Renaissance was the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area - City Proper 102 kmÂ² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/kmÂ² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43Â°47 N 11Â°15 E www. ... Jan van Eyck (1385? - 1441) was a 15th century Flemish painter and one of the first to popularize oil paint. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the EncyclopÃ©die. ... Geometry (from the Greek words Geo = earth and metro = measure) is the branch of mathematics first popularized in ancient Greek culture by Thales (circa 624-547 BC) dealing with spatial relationships. ... The Groom Bewitched, woodcut, c. ... Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377 - 1446, was the first great Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. ... Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 â€“ May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... Self-portrait by Raphael. ...

Architecture

While the gothic cathedral very much remained in vogue in Northern European countries, this style of building never really caught on in Italy. Here, renaissance architects were inspired by classical buildings, and the crowning work of the period was Brunelleschi’s dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture popular in the Middle Ages. ... Notre-Dame Cathedral seen from the River Seine. ... Santa Maria del Fiore, with dome designed by Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 â€“ 1446) was the first great Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. ... Santa Maria del Fiore Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as the Duomo) is Florences cathedral, noted for its distinctive dome. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area - City Proper 102 kmÂ² Population - City (2004) - Metropolitan - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/kmÂ² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43Â°47 N 11Â°15 E www. ...

Literature

The most important development of late medieval literature was the ascendancy of the vernacular languages over Latin. A popular genre was the romance, mostly taking its themes from the legends of the Holy Grail. Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one-thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. ... sheshoKKKK Categories: Sociolinguistics | Language varieties and styles ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... As a literary genre, romance refers to a style of heroic prose and verse narrative current in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. ... In Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, cup or vessel used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers. ...

The writer who more than any other heralds the new age is Dante Alighieri. His Divine Comedy, written in Italian, describes a medieval religious world-view, but does so in a style based on classical ideals. Other promoters of the Italian language were Petrarch, whose Canzoniere are considered the first modern lyric poems, and Boccaccio with his Decameron. In England Geoffrey Chaucer helped establish English as a literary language with his Canterbury Tales. Like Boccaccio, Chaucer was concerned with everyday life rather than religious or mythological themes. In Germany, it was Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible that was to serve as the basis for written German. Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, in Michelinos fresco. ... From the c. ... Lyric poetry is the purest form of poetry, which does not attempt to tell a story, as do epic poetry and dramatic poetry. ... Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (June 16, 1313 â€“ December 21, 1375) was a Italian author and poet, the greatest of Petrarchs disciples, an important Renaissance humanist in his own right and author of a number of notable works including On Famous Women, the Decameron and his poems in the vernacular. ... The Decameron is a collection of novellas that was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1353. ... Chaucer: Illustration from Cassells History of England, circa 1902 Geoffrey Chaucer (c. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Canterbury Tales Woodcut 1484 The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in prose, the rest in verse). ...

Music

Timeline

id="External_links"> Events August 13 - Louis X of France marries Clemence dAnjou. ... Events The Great Famine of 1315-1317. ... The Great Famine of 1315-1317 (or to 1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century, causing millions of deaths over an extended number of years and marking a clear end to an earlier period of growth and prosperity... This page concerns 1337, the year. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... This article is in need of attention. ... -1... Events Hayam Wuruk becomes ruler of the Majapahit Empire The Black Death ravages Europe (1347-1351) Births Manuel II Palaeologus, future Byzantine Emperor John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (approximate date). ... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... Events March - John Wyclif tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract. ... Events Antipope Benedict XIII is deposed, and Pope Martin V is elected. ... Historical map of the Western Schism The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church in 1378. ... Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1400s 1410s 1420s 1430s 1440s - 1450s - 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s 1500s Years: 1450 1451 1452 1453 1454 1455 1456 1457 1458 1459 Events and Trends Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499) The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ... Christopher Columbus (conjectural image) For information about the film director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Events Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visits Quelimane and MoÃ§ambique in southeastern Africa. ... Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama (c. ... Events January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

External links

Categories: Middle Ages | Historical eras This article discusses the history of the continent of Europe. ... Paleolithic Upper Paleolithic: Europe was populated by species of Homo since c. ... Classical antiquity is a broad and perhaps misleading term for a long period of European, Middle East and North African history, that begins roughly with the earliest recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western Europe and its first colonies, that spans the time between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution that has created modern society. ... This article is confusing for some readers, and needs to be edited for clarity. ...

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