Reyes - Renaissance Timeline

Reyes - Renaissance timeline

Period: Jan 1, 1350 to Dec 31, 1600

A timeline of the Renaissance and the impact on Europe.

Francesco Petrarch

Jan 1, 1374

Francesco Petrarca, commonly anglicized as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar and poet during the early Italian Renaissance who was one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch died in 1374 from Black Death.

Papacy returns to Rome

Jan 17, 1377

The most influential decision in the reign of Pope Gregory XI was the return to Rome, beginning on 13 September 1376 and ending with his arrival on 17 January 1377.

The Great Schism begins

Jan 1, 1378

The Great Schism split the main faction of Christianity into two divisions, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Today, they remain the two largest denominations of Christianity.

Florence was becoming a center of the Renaissance

Jan 1, 1396

Teacher Manuel Chrysoloras was invited to teach Greek there, bringing a copy of Ptolemy's "Geography" with him. The next year, Italian banker Giovanni de Medici founded the Medici Bank in Florence, establishing the wealth of his art-loving family for centuries to come.

Giovanni de Medici moves to Florence

Jan 1, 1397

The Medici family, which controlled Florence throughout much of the Renaissance, played a large part in the patronage of the arts and the political development of the city.

Ghiberti announced winner of Sculpting competition

Jan 1, 1403

In 1401, Brunelleschi entered a competition to design a new set of bronze doors for the baptistery in Florence. His entry made reference to a classical statue, known as the 'thorn puller', whilst Ghiberti used a naked torso for his figure of Isaac.

Donatello finishes his sculpture "Saint Mark"

Jan 1, 1413

Donatello started his sculpture in 1411. Donatello's Saint Mark is a marble statue that stands approximately seven feet and nine inches high in an exterior niche of the Orsanmichele church, Florence.

Brunelleschi creates Linear Perspective

Jan 1, 1413

Linear perspective revolutionized art. It allowed art to have depth and appear to be in 3D. All parallel lines in a painting or drawing using this system converge in a single vanishing point on the composition’s horizon line.

Construction Begins on Brunelleschi's Ospedale degli Innocenti

Jan 1, 1419

The Ospedale degli Innocenti was a children's orphanage in Florence, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who received the commission in 1419. It is regarded as a notable example of early Italian Renaissance architecture.

Architect Brunelleschi designs the dome for the Florence Cathedral

Jan 1, 1419

The dome that covers the Florence cathedral is known as Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome. When it was designed, it was the largest dome in the world.

Francesco Fosari Becomes Doge Of Venice

Jan 1, 1423

Fosari was the doge from 1423 to 1457. As doge, his task was to lead Venice in a long, protracted series of wars against Milan.

The Siege of Orleans

May 8, 1429

The Siege of Orléans was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. It was the French royal army's first major military victory to follow the crushing defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and also the first while Joan of Arc was with the army.

Joan of Arc

May 30, 1431

Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans", is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War, and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.

Cosimo De' Medici gained control of Florence

Jan 1, 1434

The Medici rulers were supporters of humanism and fostered it among Florence's scholars and artists. He tried to end workers' uprisings by starting an income tax that placed a heavier burden on wealthier people.

Leonardo da Vinci

Apr 15, 1452

He was best known for his art, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

The Ottoman Empire captures the city of Constantinople

Jan 1, 1453

The fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. The dwindling Byzantine Empire came to an end when the Ottomans breached Constantinople's ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days.

The end of the Hundred Years' War

Jan 1, 1453

The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the French House of Valois, over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. Each side drew many allies into the war.

Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Empire

Jun 29, 1453

The fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. The dwindling Byzantine Empire came to an end when the Ottomans breached Constantinople's ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days.

Johannes Gutenburg printed a complete edition of the Bible

Jan 1, 1456

The spread of knowledge was helped by the printing press. As a result of the printing press being invented, books were published more quickly and less expensively.

Lorenzo De' Medici ruled Florence

Jan 1, 1469

After Cosimo De' Medici, his grandson Lorenzo, took his place. They targeted upper-class families.

The Spainish Inquistion begins

Jan 1, 1478

The Inquisition was established to act as a tribunal to identify heretics and bring them to justice. Due to the increasing animosity, many Jews who did not renounce their faith were killed or expelled from Spain.

Huldrych Zwingli

Jan 1, 1484

He was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland.

Henry VII becomes king of England

Jan 1, 1485

Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

Boticelli completes the painting The Birth of Venus

Jan 1, 1486

The painting shows the triumphant Goddess of Love and Beauty. The Romans knew her as Venus, while for the Greeks she was Aphrodite.

Explorer Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas

Jan 1, 1492

The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did, instead, he stumbled upon the Americas.

Vasco da Gama arrives in India

Jan 1, 1498

Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama becomes the first European to reach India via the Atlantic Ocean when he arrives at Calicut on the Malabar Coast. Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, in July 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and anchored at Malindi on the east coast of Africa.

Michaelangelo finishes "David"

Jan 1, 1504

Michaelangelo made a sculpture named "David" between 1501 and 1504. David was a biblical hero, who was a favored subject in Florence.

Sistine Chapel gets painted

Jan 1, 1508

The Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michaelangelo between 1508 and 1512.

Humanist author Erasmus writes Praise of Folly

Jan 1, 1509

The Praise of Folly is one of the most important books of Renaissance Humanism and one of the most perfect expressions of the sentiments and philosophy of its author, Desiderius Erasmus. The Praise of Folly was written in 1509 to amuse Sir Thomas More, Erasmus's close friend and intellectual counterpart.

John Calvin

Jan 1, 1509

John Calvin was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation.

Raphael paints his masterpiece The School of Athens

Jan 1, 1511

The painting reflects Renaissance art because it emphasizes the focus of worldly matter rather than spiritual. During the Renaissance the value was on humanism and was slowly moving away from things that were considered spiritual.

Machiavelli publishes "The Prince"

Jan 1, 1513

The Prince was an examination of how a leader can gain power and stay in power.

Thomas More published his book Utopia

Jan 1, 1516

Thomas criticized society of his day in his book. People from his time started to go with the book, as if they were rules, and lived the lifestyle as the characters did in Utopia.

Martin Luther Nails the 95 Theses on the Door of the Wittenberg Church

Oct 31, 1517

Martin Luther challenged the traditional practices of the church and Pope Leo X. Luther believed that a person's wealth should not impact their status in the afterlife.

Ferdinand Magellan begins his voyage around the world.

Jan 1, 1519

Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain in 1519 with a fleet of five ships to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands. En route he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean.

Juan Ponce de Leon

Jul 1, 1521

Juan Ponce de León, commonly known as Ponce de León, was a Spanish pioneer and conquistador known for driving the primary official European expedition to Florida and the primary representative of Puerto Rico.

Start of the European Wars of religion

Jan 1, 1524

The religious wars were caused by the Protestant Reformation in western and northern Europe. The wars were fought between Catholics and Protestants.

Rome is sacked by the troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

Jan 1, 1527

The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out in Rome by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. It marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between Charles and the League of Cognac —the alliance of France, Milan, Venice, Florence, and the Papacy.

Ivan the Terrible is born

Sep 25, 1530

Ivan conquered large amounts of territory transforming Russia into a multiethnic country. He became the first Tsar of Russia.

King Henry VIII begins Protestant Anglican Church

Jan 1, 1536

Henry wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Ann Boleyn. When the Pope did not allow Henry an annulment of his marriage to Catherine, Henry renounced the Pope's authority over the Church of England and made himself its sovereign.

Desiderius Erasmus Dies

Jul 12, 1536

Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance humanist and Catholic priest, he was critical of the Catholic church and was an early proponent of religious toleration. He also translated the old testament from Greek to Latin and corrected many of the written mistakes.

Jesuit Order founded by Ignatius Loyola

Jan 1, 1543

Ignatius was a religious leader during counter-reformation, he was extremely loyal to the Catholic Church authority and hierarchy. His creation of the Society of Jesus was used to spread the word of god, the members of the Society of Jesus were known as Jesuits and were considered the soldiers of God.

Scientific Revolution

May 24, 1543

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance polymath responsible for what some have called the “Copernican Revolution.” One of the most important contributions of Copernicus was to the field of astronomy. Copernicus placed the sun at the center of the universe, rather than the earth.

Spain declares bankruptcy for the 1st time

Jan 1, 1557

Spain's bankruptcy was caused by Kings defaulting on their loans and a dependance on precious metals and jewels for income.

Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England

Jan 1, 1558

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death on 24 March 1603. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the last of the five monarchs of the House of Tudor.

William Shakespeare is born

Jan 1, 1564

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist.

Saint Bartholomew 's Massacre

Oct 5, 1572

Mobs of French Catholics killed Protestants during the French Religious Wars. It is presumed that the Massacre started because of King Charles the IX's sister Margret married the Protestant King Henry the IV (the future king of France).

The Spanish Armada is defeated by the English navy

Jan 1, 1588

Off the coast of Gravelines, France, Spain's so-called “Invincible Armada” is defeated by an English naval force under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake. Its hopes of invasion crushed, the remnants of the Spanish Armada began a long and difficult journey back to Spain.

Edict of Nantes

Apr 13, 1598

Issued by King Henry the IV of France, it gave non catholics in France civil rights. This marked the end of the religious wars in France during the second half of the 16th century.

William Shakespeare builds the Globe theatre

Jan 1, 1599

The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613.