Late Middle Ages

Quick Facts: Who was Late Middle Ages?

Subject:

Late Middle Ages

Known for:

A transformative era in European history (c. 1300–1500) marked by crisis, rebirth, and global expansion.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded Early modern Europe (and in much of Europe, the Renaissance). Around 1350, centuries of prosperity and growth in Europe came to a halt. A series of famines and plagues, including the Great Famine of 1315–1317 and the Black Death, reduced the population to around half of what it had been before the calamities. Along with depopulation came social unrest and endemic warfare.

Career & Major Achievements

France and England experienced serious peasant uprisings, such as the Jacquerie and the Peasants' Revolt, as well as over a century of intermittent conflict, the Hundred Years' War. To add to the many problems of the period, the unity of the Catholic Church was temporarily shattered by the Western Schism. Collectively, those events are sometimes called the crisis of the late Middle Ages. Despite the crises, the 14th century was also a time of great progress in the arts and sciences. Following a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman texts that took root in the High Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance began.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The absorption of Latin texts had started before the Renaissance of the 12th century through contact with Arabs during the Crusades, but the availability of important Greek texts accelerated with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks, when many Byzantine scholars had to seek refuge in the West, particularly Italy. Combined with this influx of classical ideas was the invention and rapid spread of printing, which facilitated the dissemination of the printed word and democratized learning. These two developments would later contribute to the Reformation. Toward the end of the period, the Age of Discovery began. The expansion of the Ottoman Empire cut off trading possibilities with the East.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1300: 1300 Milestone — The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD.
2. 1315: 1315 Milestone — A series of famines and plagues, including the Great Famine of 1315–1317 and the Black Death, reduced the population to around half of what it had been before the calamities.
3. 1350: 1350 Milestone — Around 1350, centuries of prosperity and growth in Europe came to a halt.

Notable Quotes by Late Middle Ages

“Man became a spiritual individual and recognized himself as such.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Late Middle Ages

True or False: “The primary defining feature of the late Middle Ages was universally accepted by all historians studying the period.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Modern historiography shows a consensus between innovation and crisis, and many Italian scholars avoid using the term altogether.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Franco of Cologne — Historical peer (Born in 1300) (1300): Pioneering music theorist who established note duration via written notation.
• Gebre Meskel Lalibela — Historical peer (Died in 1300) (1300): Founder of the monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a powerful Zagwe king.
• Abd al-Samad — Historical peer (Born in 1500) (1500): Founding master of Mughal miniature painting, active in the 16th century.
• Atahualpa — Historical peer (Born in 1500) (1500): The last effective Inca Emperor, whose reign marked the end of the great Andean civilization.
• Dmitry Donskoy — Historical peer (Born in 1350) (1350): Prince of Moscow who openly challenged Mongol authority, achieving fame at Kulikovo.
• Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya — Historical peer (Died in 1350) (1350): Influential Hanbali scholar, jurist, and theologian of the Mamluk era.
• Giovanni Pisano — Historical peer (Died in 1315) (1315): Master Italian sculptor blending French Gothic and Roman antiquity.
• Emperor Fushimi — Historical peer (Died in 1317) (1317): The 92nd Emperor of Japan, whose reign spanned the turbulent late 13th century.
• Madhvacharya — Historical peer (Died in 1317) (1317): Founder of the Dvaita Vedanta school, a major dualistic tradition in Hinduism.

Frequently Asked Questions about Late Middle Ages