UNIT 8. COTHIC ART AND CULTURE.

1. ORIGINS OF THE GOTHIC ART.

From the 12th century to the 15th there was a cultural revival due to:

•       Economic growth

•       Development of cities. 

1. 1. Cultural revival.

The growth of cities created a cultural revival due to:

•       Increase in education. The bourgeoisie studied aritmethic, law, geography and writing to govern the cities and conduct bussines. As a consequence more literature, historical chronicles, philosophical works and treatises on geometry were written.

•       Development of vernacular languages. The similarity between spoken and written language helped the cultural revival. 

1. 2. The first universities.

The desire to acquire knowledge led to the develpment of schools. Schools were controlled by bishops or the city councils.

Universities were schools created by teachers and students who did not want to teach and study under the control of these authorities. Furthemore, the monarchies founded many universities to bring prestige to their kingdoms.

Studying at university was expensive and took a long time.

1. 3. New role of the church.

The development of cities and the contrast between social classes created new religious needs:

•       New religious orders appeared to:

1. Maintain piety among the urban population (Dominicans).
2. Help the urban poor and disadvantaged people in cities (Franciscans).

•       The Pope wanted to achieve supremacy over the emperor.

Because of this, the Church built enormous buildings and beatiful works of art that reflected the Kingdom of Heaven promised to all good Christians.

2. GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE.

Gothic architecture appeared in the 12th century.

2. 1. New types of buildings.

Economic growth in cities led to the need of new type of buildings:

•       Palaces for nobles and merchants.

•       City halls for local governments.

•       Marketplaces for merchants.

•       Cathedrals which became the symbol of the cities.

2. 2. Architectural innovations.

Technical innovations allowed the construction of higher, brighter and more complex building:

•       Pointed arches (arco apuntado) that were lighter.

•       Ribbed vaulting (boveda de cruceria), formed by the intesection of two pointed arches that were  supported by four columns. This make possible to replace the walls with stained glass and rose windows.

•       Buttresses and flying buttresses (arbotante), which supported the the weight of the buidling.

•       Pinnacles (pinaculos) on top of buttresses that gave a greater sense of height.

•       Three doors that opened into the three interior naves. Every door had a tympannun and archivolts and was divided by a column called mullion (parteluz).

•       Use of stained glass windows (vidrieras) and rose window (rosetón) aimed to create illuminated areas that produces an atmosphere of spirituality.

NEW TYPES OF BUILDINGS:

Castle of Gerald the Devil. Photo by Bas Bogaerts.©Stad Gent-Dienst Toerisme

City Hall, Brussels

Leuven City Hall (Ayuntamiento de Lovaina).

Cloth hall (lonja de paños) of Ypres.

Notre Dame Cathedral. File:Notre_Dame_dalla_Senna.jpg Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Zuffe License: BY-SA 3.0

NEW ARCHITECTONICAL ELEMENTS:

Pointed arch (arco apuntado u ojival). File:Bolton_Abbey_7.jpg Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Dbenbenn Lincese: BY-SA 3.0

Ribbed vault (boveda de crucería). File:Catderal_de_Reims_-_Interior.JPG Author: Josep Renalias. License: BY-SA 3.0

Flying buttresses (arbotantes).

Pinnacles (pináculos).

Rose window, Estrasburg Cathedral.

Reims Cathedral.

Chartes Cathedral

A pointed arch can support a lot more weight than a rounded arch.

3. CONSTRUCTION OF A CATHEDRAL.

A cathedral is the main church ana seat of diocese, an area governed by a bishop.

The cathedrals became the symbols of the cities. Were built by municipal councils and founded by the bishop, the nobles, the king and the guilds of artisans ans merchants.

Cathedrals were built by many different kinds of woekers:

•       Builders who construct the walls and vaults.

•       Carpenters who make the roof and the doors.

•       Stonemasons who cut the block of stone into pieces. They were organised in lodges (hermandades).

Gothic sculpture and painting was used to decorate the churches and convery religious messages, but also another subjects.

To build the cathedrals two types of stone elements were used:

•Ashlars (sillares) are block of stone of different sizes for building walls, pillars, roofs, etc.

•Voussoirs (dovelas) pieces of stone in arches, doors and windows.

4. GOTHIC SCULPTURE AND PAINTING.

4. 1.  Sculpture.

Sculptures were used as decoration on facades and cloisters, but altarpieces, sepulchres and portraits were also made.

The main diferences with the romanesque sculpture are:

•       New types of sculptures appeared: altarpieces, sepulchres and freestanding sculptures with religious themes and portraits.

•       Gothic sculpture was more realistic than the romanesque sculpture:

1. Faces expressed fellings and depicted potraits of real people.
2. Drapery gave shape to the body.
3. Sculptures interacted with each other and were less rigid.
4. The S curve of the body gave a sense of movment.

4. 2. Gothic painting.

Types of paintings:

•       Fresco painting became less important because large windows replaced the walls in the crhuches.

•       Panel painting become more common.

•       Miniature painting was perfected.

The themes were mostly religious but also evereyday life, landscapes and cities.

Main characteristics:

•       More realistic and naturalistic: bodies, faces and landscapes.

•       Expression of emotion through gestures and faces.

•       Realistic use of light and color.

4. 3. Techniques.:

•       Tempera, a mixture of coloured pigments, water and egg yolk (clara). Fine brushstrokes and the paint dried quickly.

•       Oil painting, coloured pigments combined with oil. Popularised by the flemish painters in the 15th century. Dries slowly, Allowing the mixing of colours, adding layers and make changes in the painting.

White Virgin, Toledo Cathedral.

 

5. GOTHIC ART IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA: ARCHITECTURE.

The Gothic style entered in the Iberian Peninsula in the 13th century. It first apppeared in the north and later, in the south.

5. 1. Gothic architecture in Castile and Navarre.

In Castile and Navarre Gothic architecture was influenced by the French Style: great heigth, the use of external flying buttresses, large stained glass windows.

The best examples are the cathedrals of Burgos, León and Toledo.

5. 2. The Gothic architecture in Aragon.

Levantine Gothic characterised by:

•       Often built with a single nave.

•       The central and side nave were of equal height.

Buttresses less important than in Castile and smaller Windows.

5. 3. Painting.

Gothic painting followed the European trends. Frescos were replaced by altarpieces and panel paintings. The most important painters were in:

•       In Aragon Perea and Jaume Serra, Bernat Martorell, Lluis Dalmau and Jaume Huguet.

•       In Castile Nicolas Francés and Fernando Gallego.

5. 4. Sculpture.​

Most of the works were altarpieces and free-standing sculptures. The most important sculptors were Gil de Siloe and Pere Joan.

 

 

 

 

 

UNIT 7. THE GREAT PENINSULAR KINGDOMS (13th-15th CENTURIES).

1. THE RECONQUEST DURING THE 13th CENTURY: LAS NAVAS DE TOLOSA.

At the beggining of the 13th century Castile form an alliance with Aragon and Navarre to defeat the Almohads.
The almohad army was destroyed in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa and the muslims taifa never recovered. During the 13th century and the early 14th century, the Christian Kingdoms conquered all the muslims territories except the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

1. 1. Castille.

During the 13th century Castille crossed Sierra Morena and conquered the Guadiana and Guadalquivir Valleys, about 125.000 km2 in 30 years. The expansion was led by:

• Ferdinand III conquered the Baja Extremadura and the Guadalquivir Valley.
• Alfonso X conquered Huelva and Cadiz.
• At the end of the 13th century, Tarifa was occupied to control the Strait of Gibraltar.

14th century.

The Nasrid Kingodm tried to recover the Strait of Gibraltar with the help of the Marinid Kingdom, but they were defeated by Alfonso XI in the Battle of Rio Salado (1340)
The crisis of the 14h century stopped the expansion of the Christian Kingdoms.

1. 2. Aragon.

In the early 13th century, the king of France took the Occitanian territory from Aragon. The excuse was the persecution of the Albigensians and the aragones king Peter II was defeated and killed in Muret (1213)
His son, James I the Conqueror continued the expansion to the south:

• 1229 he conquered Mallorca and Ibiza.
• 1238 Valencia and a part od Alicante.
• 1244, Teatry of Alzira, signed by James I and Alfonso X of Castille, which meant that Murcia remained part of Castille.

2. THE RESETTLEMENT.

The ressettlement of the territories occupied during the 13th century was different from before:

• The occupation was carried out by nobles and the military orders that received in return vast expanses of land (latifundia).
• Many muslims stayed, keeping their religion and customs. They were called mudejars (mudejares).

2. 1. Military orders and latifundia.

The military orders were Christians societies of knights dedicated to war and prayer. They were led by a grand master. They were granted large plots of land (latifundia) with castles to protect them. This took place in the Jucar, Turia and Guadiana Valleys

2. 2. Repartimientos.

A land grant (repartimiento) was a donation of land (including villages) to those who had participated in the conquets. The main beneficiaries were: the military orders, the nobility and the Church.
A capitulation was a contract made by the new inhabitants that promise to respect the law, religion and propery of the Muslims (Mudejars) that had to lived in Muslim quartes (morerias). This took place in Extremadura, the Guadalquivir Valley, the Balearic Islands, Murcia and Valencia.

3. THE CROWN OF CASTILE.

 After the unification of Leon and Castile in 1230, the Crown of Castile becme the largest kingdom in the Peninsula.

3. 1. Goverment of the kingdom.

The goverment was composed of three institutions: the monarchy, the Cortes and the municipal councils.

• the monarchs accumulated more power including tha ability to raise armies and collect taxes and new institutions helped them:

1. the Treasury, to collect taxes.
2. the Chancery, to organise the kingdom.
3. the Audience, administration of justice.

• The Cortes of Leon were created in 1188, when the king allowed representatives of the cities to join the King's Council.
• Municipal councils controlled by the nobility (regidores), althought the monarchy appointed corregidores to exercise control.

3. 2. Economy.

Most people worked in agriculture:

• cereals to feed themselves.
• gravepines and olive trees for export.

The most important economic activity was Merino sheep farming which produced exceptional wool and was controlled by the nobility, military orders and monasteries.

3. 3. Society.

In the 14th century, Castile had four million inhabitants. Was a estamental society and the main minorities were:

• the jews lived in the societies and worked in trade and finance.
• the muslims worked in agriculture and lived in the Tajo Valley and Murcia.

3. 4. The Cortes.

The Cortes were metting of representatives of the three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the ordinary people), summoned by the king and that were held in different cities. The functions of the Cortes were:

• to approve laws propossed by the king
• to raise taxes (subsidies) to cover his financial needs.
• to present complaints and request of the estates to the king.

4. TRANSHUMANCE.

Transhumance was the practice of moving livestock from one place of pasture to another. During the summer castilian farmers took their livestock to the pastures of the Cordillera Cantabrica or the Sistema Central to be fattened on the high pastures and regrow their wool, an in winter  returned to the lowlands of Extremadura or Castile.

4. 1. Transhumance an the Mesta.

King Alfonso X established the Mesta (1273) , an association that looked after the interest of livestosk farmers. Its aim was to avoid conflict between arable farmers and shepherds, as the sheep had to cross the lands od arable farmers twice a year, causing damage.
The monarchs gave many privileges to the Mesta.

4. 2. The importance of wool trade.

The flocks of sheep belonged to the high nobility which exported it to textile mills in northern Europe.
The wool for export was sent to Burgos, and from there travelled to the coastal villages of northern Santander (Hermandad de las Cuatro Villas) and was shipped to Flanders.
The export of raw wool was very atractive for the nobility but had negative consequences:

• hindered the developemnt of Castilian cloth manufacturing.
• obstructed the growth of the bourgeoisie.

4. 3. The castilian fairs.

  The wool trade reactivated the comercial life of the Meseta Norte, and led to the creation of fairs and markets: Rioseco, Valladolid and Medina del Campo, among others.

5. THE CROWN OF ARAGON.

5. 1. Goverment.

The Crown of Aragon was divided into several territories with each own institutions and laws. The goverment was based on pactismo: the king agreed to share the creation of laws with the Cortes and to respect the rights of the three estates (fueros). The main institutions were

• the Cortes, one in each kingdom: granted subsidies to the king and passed laws.
• the viceroy, the king's representative in each kingdom.
• the Generalidad or Diputación del General, a permanent comission of the Cortes that defended the Fueros and enforced the decisions of the Cortes.
• the Chief o Justice of Aragon, who mediated in disputes between the king and the nobility.

 5. 2. Economy and society.

• The most important economic activity was agriculture and livestock farming: Mediterranean trilogy, rice and vegetables.
• Artisanship: ironwork and manufacture of cloth.
• Trade.

The growth of trade led to the emergenc of the bourgeoisie which controlled the assembly of Barcelona (Consell de Cent). 

5. 3. Mediterranean expansion.

In 200 years the Crown of Aragon expanded its territory across the Mediterranean Sea, thanks to the financial support of Catalan, Mallorcan and Valencia merchants:

• Sicily (Sicilia) 1282.
• Athens and Neopatria (Atenas y Neopatria) in 1313
• Naples (Nápoles) in 1442.

 6. THE KINGDOM OF NAVARRE.

6. 1. Several dinasties, only one fuero.

After the death of Sancho VII in 1234, Navarre was ruled by three dinasties of french origin: Blois, Capet and Evreux.
The monarchs had to swear loyalty to the General Charter (Fuero General) which establised the rights and duties of the inhabitants of the kingdom.
The king ruled helped by:

• the Royal Council that was chosen by the king.
• the High Court in charge of justice.
• the General Auditing Office which controlled the the Royal Treasury.

District and social groups.

In the 13th century, Navarra had 150.000 inhabitants and was divided in four districts and a territory in modern day France: Ultrapuertos.
The nobles based their wealth in land and livestock farming and Christians, Jews and Mudejars lived together.

  Economy.

The main economic activites were:

• livestock farming and vegetable farming in la Ribera Tuledana.
• Artisanship and trade in The Camino de Santiago.

 Navarrese civil war: agramonteses and beaumonteses.

Chronology: 1451-1512.
Causes:

• the death of the queen Blanche of Navarre in 1441started a sucessory conflict between her husband John II of Aragon and her son, Charles, prince of Viana.
• the rivalry between two groups of nobles which began in the 14th century:

1. the agramonteses, they represented the Franco-Navarrese nobility and the farmers of the Pyrenees. They defended the livestock farming and supported John II.
2. the beaumonteses. They represented the farming nobles of the Ribera. They supported Charles of Viana and later Castile.

Result: After the death of John in 1479, Navarra was ruled by a French dinasty, but in 1512, Ferdinand the Catholic, invaded it with a castilian army and united it with the Crown of Castile.

7. CIVIL WARS IN CASTILE AND ARAGON.

The Late Middle Ages was a time of crisis for the Iberian Peninsula due to:

• the Black Death.
• famine.
• economic crisis:

1. reduction of mediterranean trade.
2. smaller harvest.

• civil wars.

 7. 1. Black Death and progroms.

After a series of bad harvests, the Black Death reached the Peninsula via the Mediterranean Sea, spreading quickly to the rest of the Peninsula. The consequences were:

• many areas were abandoned.
• the lords demanded more lands from the king and increased peasants' taxes.
• Jews were blamed for the crisis an 1391 there mass killings of jews in various cities (progroms).

7. 2. Conflicts in the Crown of Aragon.

In the 15th century a new dinasty ruled Aragon, the Trastamara dinasty. In 1410, Ferdinand the Antequera was chosen to be king by the Compromise of Caspe
There were social conflicts due to the demografic and economic crisis:

• Peasant revolt. The peasants (remences) rose against the lords because of the increase of th rents and the feudal abuses (malos usos).
• In Barcelona, a conflict between the Busca (traders and artisans) and th Biga (nobles and bourgeoisie).

There was a civil war (1462-1472) between the King John II supported by the Busca and the peasants and the nobility. The king won.

7. 3. Castile.

During the 14th century the castilian nobility tried to recover their privileges. The monarchy was controlled by the nobility and the favourites. The main conflicts were:

• 1st castilian civil war (1366-1369. between:

1. King Peter I that wanted to strengthen royal authority
2. The hig nobility that supported Henry og Trastamara.

Henry won and granted lands and privileges to th enobles.

• 2nd castilian civil war (1475-1479) after the death of Henry IV between:

1.  his sister Isabella
2. his daughter Joanna.

Isabella won and assert the royal authority.

7. 4. The Irmandiño revolt.

A revolt of the farm laboures (irmandiños) against the feudal lords in 1467.

8. CULTURE.

Three different cultures lived alongside in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages: Muslims, Christians and Jews. Their main contributions were:

Jews.

The most important figures were:

• Ibn Shaprut, a doctor in Cordoba during the 10th century.
• Maimonides, a thinker, physician and astronomer.

 Muslims. 

The most important contributions of the mudejars, the muslims living in the christian kingdoms were:

• the mudejar art.
• the words of arabic origin.
• the main figuro was Averroes who recovered the ideas of Aristotles.

 The School of translators of Toledo.

Alfonso X the wise created the School of Toledo which translated and copied literary, philosophical, medical an scienfitic text from Greco-Roman, Muslim and Jewish cultures.

 

 

UNIT 6. CITIES IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE.

1. CITIES GROWTH.

From the 12th century, cities started to grow due to:

• the end of the second invasions.
• the introduction of new agricultural techniques.
• the population growth.
• the revival of trade.

1. 1. The end of the second invasions.

At the end of the 11th century the viking (Norman) invasions ended with the conquer of England and Normandy.
The apparition of the Truce of God, agreements to maintain peace and limit the wars between feudals.

1. 2. Agricultural growth.

From the 11th century there was an increase in agricultural productivity due to:

• apparition of new cultivation methods, such as triennial rotation:

1. only a third of the land was fallow
2. use of manure as fertiliser.

• new farming tools:

1.  the mouldboard plough (arado de vertedera) which made deeper furrows and increased the soil's fertility.
2. the use of horses
3. uses of harnesses.

• use of windmills and watermills which made grinding grain easier.

Farmers began to produce more crops than they could consume and sell surplus crops.

 1. 3. Population growth.

The increase in production causes a population growth. The european population grew from 45 million in the 12th century to 75 million in the 14th century.
Population growth caused a increase of the arable land:

1. Peasants resettled old abandoned land.
2. New lands were cleared.

 1. 4. Revival of trade.

The increase of production and populatin growth led to a revival of trade. As a consequence cities started to grow:

• Apparition of new cities around castles and abbeys that surplus crops to sell and atracted merchants.
•  Ancient smaller cities at a crossroads and ports where peasants exchanges their surplus crops and buy goods.
• The Crusades that openned the trade with the eastern mediterranean.

1. 5. The Crusades.

The Crusades were several military campaings organised by the Pope in order to liberate Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Turks that took place between the 11th and the 13th centuries.

Roman plough. Far less eficient than the mouldboard plough.

Mouldboard plough (arado de vertedera). Allowed to make a deeper furrow an increased greatly the soil's fertility.

The use of horses to plough increased greatly the crop production.

Windmill.

2. MEDIEVAL CITIES.

2. 1. Location.

Most of the medieval cities appeared due the following factors:

• Appeared around fortress and next to the ancient roman roads (calzadas).
• near good land for farming or grazing.
• a plentiful water supply
• forest to obtain wood.
• quarries to obtain stone.

2. 2. Organization.

• In the center of the city there was a large square surrounded by the town hall, he marketplace and the cathedral. Also there were hospitals, schools and religious buildings.
• Nobles lived in teh centre of the city in luxurious palaces, the rest of the peope lived in neihbourhoods depending on the origin (judería, morería) or trade (guilds).
•  Streets were narrow and dirty. There were no sewers and poor urban hygiene led to the spread of disease.

An example of medieval city, Carcassone.

 Middle Ages: the town. BBC.

3. SOCIAL GROUPS.

3. 1. The bourgeoisie.

The growth of cities transformed the feudal society. Medieval cities were territories outside the feudal system and their inhabitants were free and not subject to a lord.
A new social group appeared, the bourgeoisie, whose wealth came from the sale of their products and profits generated by their businesses.We can distinguish two groups:

• high bourgeoisie (merchants and bankers).
• petty bourgeoisie (artisans and traders).

  3. 2. Other social groups.

• Nobility and clergy, they lived in palaces and convents.
• Ordinary people, such as artisans, servants and beggars.
• Jews were a minority and lived in separate neighbourhoods.

3. 3. The city goverment.

The cities were ruled by magistrates chosen by the citizens. The magistrates were led by a major that was in charge of the finances, order and justice.
Over time, cities were ruled by the richest families of merchants and bankers, the urban paticians.

3. 4. The jews.

  The Jewish presence in Europe started with the expulsion of the jews from Palestine by the romans in 135AD. In medieval Europe, Jews worked as artisans, traders, bankers and in medicine and science. They were persecuted, although there were periods of tolerance:

• Jews had to wear clothes that distinguised them from Christians.
• live in separate neighbourhoods, called Jewish quarters or juderias.
• The synagogue was the jewish place of worship, where the rabbi or spiritual leader interprets the Torah, the holy book of the jews. 

 4. MARKET DAY IN A MEDIEVAL CITY.

 Medieval cities were centres of exchange: farmers exchanges their agricultural products for goods mafe by artisans.

4. 1. Artisans and guilds.

The artisans were organised in guilds. A guild is an association of artisans who made the same products with the goal of protect themselves from the competition of artisans from other cities. The functions of the guilds were:

• control the quality and price of the products.
• force the artisans to work the same hours and use the same kind of tools.
• guarantee that only authorised artisans work in the cities.

 Guilds organised the artisans in several categories:

• apprentices, an artisan of young age that is learning a trade working in the workshop of a master.
• artisans that works in the workshop of a master.
• master artisan, an artisan that has establish his own workshop after pass an exam of the guild.

4. 2. Market day.

Market days in medieval cities attracted  many people:

• peasants who sold agricultural and livestock products and buy goods (clothes, shoes, scissors).
• merchants sold products difficult to find in the cities like salt and bought agricultural and artisan products.
• Musicians and acrobats came to entertain the crowd.

5. COMMERCIAL EXPANSION.

From the 12th century, great fairs started to appear. A trade fair was a large market held periodically in which large quantities of products were bought and sold. The causes were:

• travelling became safer.
• new roads were built.
• cities, monarchs, and lords created laws to protect the merchants.

The mos important were held in Champagne (France).

5. 2. Long distance sea routes.

 Maritime trade became more important due to the increased capacity and speed of the ships.
The main maritime routes were:

• The Mediterranean route which connected

1. Venice, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona and Valencia (textiles, weapons and tools).
2.  Middle East and the Byzantine Empire (silk and spices).

• The Atlantic and Baltic (Hansa) route in which products from Lisbon and the ports of the Bay of Biscay and the Baltic Sea were exchanged on Flanders (Bruges, Ghent, etc).

 5. 3. The circulation of money.

  The restauration of trade made necessary the circulation of money:

• Many cities began producing their own gold, silver and alloy coins.
• Moneychangers appeared to allow merchants to change the currency of their money.
• Individuals and societies (bankers) started to lend money with interest.
• Bill of exchange appeared. A bill of change (letra de cambio) is a written document that orders a organization to pay a particular sum of money to a person at a particular place or time.

6. EUROPE IN THE HIGH AND LATE MIDDLE AGES.

During the 13th century, the monarchies became more powerful with the help of the bourgeoisie.
However, the crisis of the Late Middle Ages led to wars between the European monarchs.

6. 1. The strengthening of royal power.

From the 12th century, the monarchs managed to impose their authority on the feudal nobility and give stability to their territories. In order to do this they need the support of the bourgeoisie:

• the kings gave the bourgeoisie:

1. letters of privilege that freed them from the control of the lords and allowed them to govern their cities.
2. a monopoly on bussiness.
3. a guaranty to be able to travel freely and safely to conduct trade.

•  the bourgeoisie gave the monarchs economic resources to impose their authority.

6. 2. The Cortes and parliament.

The Royal Council started to include representatives of the bourgeoisie and became the Cortes (parliament).
The king used the Cortes to obtain financial support (subsidies) from the bourgeoisie an in return listen to their demans and sometimes agree to them.

6. 3. The Late Middle Ages Crisis.

• Started at the beginning of the 14th century with an agricultural crisis due to:

1. population growth that resulted in the cultivation of low quality land.
2. climate change led to several bad harvests.

•  Population decline due to:

1. Widespread famine.
2. Black Death.

• Economic crisis due to:

1.  decline of artisan and commercial production.
2. rise of prices
3. increase of taxes.

•  Conflicts:

1. Wars betwen European monarchies.
2. Civil wars between the nobility and the monarchy.
3. Peasant and urban revolts.

The main consequence was a widespread crisis of the feudal system that marked the end of the Middle Ages.

6. 4. The Hundred Year's War.

Chronology: 1337-1453.
Causes: the death without a son of of the French king, Charles IV and the claim of Edward III
The English occupied a large part of France, but were defeated by Charles VII and lost of their territories in France, except the city of Calais.
Consequences:

• Triumph of the idea of a monarchy tied to a national territory.
• End of the feudal monarchy. 

7. THE BLACK DEATH.

7. 1. The Black Death.

The Black Death was an infectious disease caused by bacteria and transmited to humans from fleas that lived on infected rats. It came from Asia and reached Europe in 1348 by Genoese ships.

Its spread was unstoppable and had no cure. The only way to halt its advance was to isolate the sick and burning their belongings.

7. 2. Consequences.

Depoulation.

• It is estimated that between a 30 and 40% of the European population died, reducing the population from 73 to 45 million.
• Many lands were abandoned.

Social crisis.

Depopulation reduced the income of the feudal lords because there were fewer serfs. The lords raised the taxes paid by the peasants and recovered obsolete feudal rights.
The peasants rebelled violently against the lords and in the cities, ordinary people rose up against the urban patricians.

Religious crisis.

 The people in Europe saw the epidemic as a divine punishment for the sins of the people and the corruption of the Church. Because of this, a new religious fervour erupted and a movement to reform the Chruch began.