Medieval Europe

  • 500

    The start of the Medieval Period

    In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
  • Period: 500 to 1000

    Early Middle Ages (Dark Ages)

  • 800

    Charlemagne, the most powerful european leader

    Charlemagne was a medieval emperor who ruled much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. He was responsible for uniting most of Europe under his rule by power of the sword, for helping to restore the Western Roman Empire and becoming its first emperor, and for facilitating a cultural and intellectual renaissance.
  • 1000

    The Black Death

  • Period: 1000 to 1300

    High Middle Ages

  • Period: 1000 to 1300

    The Black Death (The Plauge)

  • 1054

    Creation of the Orthodox Church

    Orthodoxy believes that the Christian Faith and the Church are inseparable. It is impossible to know Christ, to share in the life of the Holy Trinity, or to be considered a Christian, apart from the Church. It is in the Church that the Christian Faith is proclaimed and maintained. The Orthodox Church affirms it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and his apostles, begun at the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit in the year 33 A.D.
  • Period: 1300 to 1500

    Late Middle Ages

  • 1453

    End of the Byzantine Empire

    The Byzantine Empire fell once and for all in the year 1453 CE, when the Ottoman Empire broke through the walls of Constantinople with cannons and seized control of the capital city. The last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI, died in that battle.
  • 1500

    Feudalism ends in Western Europe

    Historian Georges Lefebvre explains how at an early stage of the French Revolution, on just one night of August 4, 1789, France abolished the long-lasting remnants of the feudal order. It announced, "The National Assembly abolishes the feudal system entirely."