Late Middle Ages Timeline

Francis of Assisi received papal approval for his order of friars devoted to poverty, humility, and itinerant preaching. The Franciscans revitalized lay spirituality across Europe, ministered in cities among the poor, and produced influential mystics and scholars such as Bonaventure and Duns Scotus.

Image source: Franciscans

Pope Honorius III approved the Order of Preachers founded by Dominic de Guzmán. The Dominicans emphasized preaching, teaching, and combating heresy through education rather than force alone, becoming leading scholars at medieval universities and playing a major role in the Inquisition.

Image source: Dominican Order

Pope Gregory X convened the council seeking reunion with the Orthodox Church and support for crusading. Greek delegates accepted union under pressure, but the agreement was rejected by most Byzantine clergy and laity and soon collapsed, leaving the churches divided.

Under pressure from King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V moved the papal court to Avignon, where popes resided for nearly seven decades. Critics denounced their dependence on French kings, and calls for reform grew, setting the stage for crisis within the Church.

Image source: Avignon Papacy

Rival elections after Gregory XI returned to Rome produced two, then three, simultaneous popes, dividing European powers into competing allegiances. The scandal eroded papal prestige and prompted conciliarist movements culminating in the Council of Constance.

Image source: Western Schism

The council deposed rival popes, elected Martin V, and healed the Western Schism, restoring a single pontiff. It also burned reformer Jan Hus for heresy, provoking decades of Hussite Wars in Bohemia and leaving unresolved demands for deeper church reform.

Image source: Council of Constance

King John of England was forced by rebellious barons to seal Magna Carta at Runnymede, limiting royal authority and affirming that the king was subject to law. Though initially a failure, it became a foundational document for constitutional government and the rule of law in England and beyond.

Image source: Magna Carta

Rudolf of Habsburg was elected King of the Romans, ending the Great Interregnum after the fall of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. His victory over Ottokar II of Bohemia established Habsburg power in Austria, beginning centuries of Habsburg influence in Central Europe.

Image source: Rudolf I of Germany

Following Edward I's conquest of Wales, the Statute of Rhuddlan organized the Principality of Wales under English law and administration. It marked the incorporation of Welsh territory into the English crown's domain, completed by castle-building programs like those at Caernarfon and Conwy.

Image source: Statute of Rhuddlan

Edward I summoned a parliament including barons, clergy, knights, and burgesses to raise funds for wars in Scotland and France. Its broad composition set a template for representative government, shaping the development of the English Parliament as an institution.

Image source: Model Parliament

French peasants in the Oise valley rose against noble exploitation amid the chaos following King John II's capture at Poitiers. The uprising was violently suppressed within weeks, but it exposed deep rural grievances intensified by war, plague, and heavy taxation.

Image source: Jacquerie

Thousands of English rebels protesting poll taxes and serfdom marched on London, burning records and executing officials including the Archbishop of Canterbury. Fourteen-year-old Richard II met the rebels at Smithfield, and promises were broken as leaders like Wat Tyler were killed.

Image source: Peasants' Revolt

Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania agreed to marry Queen Jadwiga of Poland and convert to Christianity, creating a personal union between the two realms. The alliance formed one of Europe's largest states and laid foundations for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Image source: Union of Krewo

Pope Gregory IX issued Parens scientiarum, granting the University of Paris self-governance and academic privileges after student riots. Often called the 'Magna Carta' of universities, it strengthened institutional learning and made Paris the premier center of theology in Europe.

Image source: University of Paris

Venetian merchant Marco Polo traveled with his father and uncle along the Silk Road to the court of Kublai Khan in China. His account of the journey, dictated while imprisoned in Genoa, inspired European curiosity about Asia and later explorers including Christopher Columbus.

Image source: Marco Polo

Torrential rains ruined harvests across northern Europe, causing crop failures, skyrocketing food prices, and mass starvation. Millions died, social order broke down in places, and the famine weakened populations just decades before the Black Death struck the continent.

Image source: Great Famine of 1315–1317

Florentine exile Dante Alighieri finished his epic poem describing a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Written in Tuscan vernacular rather than Latin, the Comedy established Italian as a literary language and stands as one of the greatest works of world literature.

Image source: Divine Comedy

Bubonic plague arrived via Genoese ships at Messina and spread rapidly across Europe, killing between one-third and one-half of the population. The demographic catastrophe disrupted economies, undermined feudal structures, provoked religious fervor and persecution, and reshaped European society permanently.

Image source: Black Death

Johannes Gutenberg developed movable metal type printing in Mainz, producing the celebrated 42-line Bible around 1455. Mass production of books dramatically lowered costs, spread literacy and ideas, and revolutionized communication, fueling the Renaissance and Reformation to come.

Image source: Printing press