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Dec 13, 1387
Dante, Chaucer, and Christine de Pizan
Dante, Chaucer, and Christine de Pizan all made vernacular very popular. Dante wrote the Divine Comedy, a story of the soul's journey to salvation in three parts. Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales, a story about 29 pilgrims and their journey to the tomb of St. Thomas a Becket. Christine de Pizan was a Frenchwomen and wrote the story The Books of the City Ladies which argued against sexism. -
Dec 13, 1400
Venice
Venice was a key link between the East and the West. It was also officially a republic but was really ruled by the rich elite. -
Dec 13, 1400
Humanism
Humanism is based on the study of classics such as, grammar, rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy, and history. Petrarch was the father of Renaissance humanism and looked for forgotten manuscripts. He brought back the use of Roman Latin and believed in secluded life without family or community. -
Dec 13, 1434
Florence
Florence was ruled by a small, wealthy group and in 1434 the Medici family took control. They ran the government from behind the scenes by using their wealth. It wasn't until Dominican preacher Savonarola began condemning the Medici family's corruption that the Medici's handed over the city. However, when people discovered Savonarola's strict rules they turned on him. Savonarola also challenged the Church and in 1498 was charged with heresy, killed, and the Medici family once gain took over. -
Dec 13, 1440
Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press and allowed Martin Luther to make thousands of copies of his 95 Theses and spread them all over Germany. This act led to the break from the Catholic Church. -
Dec 13, 1447
Milan
The city of Milan is located in Northern Italy at the crossroads between the coast and the Alpine passes. It was headed by the Visconti family until 1447 when it was taken over by Francesco Sforza. Francesco Sforza led a band of mercenaries, soldiers who sold their skills to the highest bidder. Both rulers did however, work to make a strong central government with taxes. -
Dec 13, 1500
Martin Luther
Martin Luther began the Reformation in early 1500s which led to a more religious change. He was a monk and professor at the University of Wittenberg in Germany and studied the Bible. He solved the problem of certainty of salvation. Luther didn't believe in good works and said that one needed only to have faith instead. He wasn't happy when people started selling indulgences and nailed a list of 95 Theses, a list of abuses, to the Church door. -
Dec 13, 1521
Edict of Worms
As a new, young emperor, Charles V issued the Edict of Worms. This made Martin Luther an outlaw that was to be captured and delivered to the emperor where his works would be burned. -
Dec 13, 1527
Italian Wars
Many European countries wanted Italian cities' wealth, but France wanted it most of all. Because of this, Charles VIII, from France, invaded Italy with 30,000 of his troops. Italy then asked Charles I for help and it led to 30 years of war. It wasn't until 1527 when Spain sacked Rome that they left leaving Spain as the dominate force in Italy. -
Dec 13, 1531
Ulrich Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a protestant priest in Zurich, Switzerland and he got rid of relics and images. He wanted to ally with Martin Luther but they disagreed on too much. When war broke out in Switzerland between Protestants and Catholics, Zwingli lost, was killed on the battlefield, and his power was passed to John Calvin. -
Dec 13, 1534
King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII wanted a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. When the pope refused to annul, declare invalid, their marriage he went to the archbishop of Canterbury where the bishop annuled their marriage instead. Later Henry created his own Church and named it the Church of England. -
Dec 13, 1536
John Calvin
John Calvin was from France but after he converted to Protestantism he fled to Switzerland. He put a huge emphasis on the power of God which led to the belief called predestination, thinking that God is all knowing and has a plan for everyone. -
Dec 13, 1540
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuits. Jesuits took a vow to follow the pope and used education to help restore damage. -
Dec 13, 1555
Peace of Augsburg
Charles V was the Holy Roman empire and he ruled an immense empire that ultimately failed. He was greedy and wanted all of the land and fought with the French, who were also backed by the pope, because the French said Charles was a Frenchmen which is true. After many invasions and fights Charles finally gave in a signed a peace treaty, Peace of Augsburg. This treaty accepted the division of Christianity in Germany and allowed people to choose which religion they wanted to follow. -
Anabaptists
Anabaptists didn't like the amount of power that was given to the state after Luther's reforms because they believed in the separation of Church and State. They also refused to bear arms or hold political office and believed that people should be baptized as an adult.
