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Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, engineer, scientist and architect in the Renaissance. When he was 15, he was taught by a well- known painter and sculptor, Andrea del Verrocchio of Florence. Some of Leonardo’s most important artworks are: the Last Supper, the Mona Lisa which is in the Louvre Museum, the Vitruvian Man, Salvator Mundi and many other’s.
Link with 10 artworks of Leonardo Da Vinci -
Constantinople suffered many attacks along the centuries, but its defences were successful due to the huge walls surrounding the city, which were built during the reign of Theodosius II. Nevertheless, it couldn´t resist the powerful cannons of the Ottoman Empire (by Sultan Mehmed II) that were near the city by land and sea, and the city was finally conquered.
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In 1454, Johaness Gutenberg put his printing press in comercial use, but he had established the basics of it by 1440. With his printing press, 250 sheets could be printed per hour. The “Gutenberg Bible” was the first book printed in Europe. Thanks to Gutenberg’s invention, the spread of knowledge and literacy became more accessible to society. Web with more information
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Michelangelo, born in the village of Caprese, was an Italian painter, sculptor and drawer during the Renaissance. He is considered the greatest living artist of his lifetime. He grew up in Florence, where he became an artist’s apprentice. Among lots of famous achievements,the frescoes on the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, the David and the Pietà stand out. Link with Michelangelo’s 11 most famous accomplishments
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Isabel I of Castille and Fernando II of Aragón’s marriage meant the transition from the Middle Ages to Modern History. They reconquered Granada from the Nasrids, they also conquered the Canary Islands, Melilla and the kingdom of Navarra. Moreover they financed the trip of Christopher Columbus. Their reign was mainly characterized by Catholicism, forcing the conversion of Christianity, the expulsion of Muslims and Jews and the Inquisition.
Catholic Kings video -
Cristopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, wanted to get to The Maluku Islands, the trade center of spices. He received economic help from The Catholic Kings, and he signed a contract where he said he would find and be the governor of any land founded. He sailed with the three well-known ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. In his trip, he accidentally reached unknown land (America) although he though it was India.
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The Tordesillas Treaty was an agreement between the monarchs of Spain and Portugal to divide the areas of the world they could conquer in two. The imaginary line passed through the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving America for Spain and Africa for Portugal. Thanks to this treaty, both countries were able to conquer land avoiding competition because of the different places they were given.
Map of Tordesillas Treaty -
Juana I of Castilla was the second daughter of the Catholic Kings. She married Felipe el Hermoso and had six children. Due to the death of her siblings, she inherited the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragón. She was locked up by her father in Tordesillas during 50 years and wasn´t allowed to reign, supposedly for mental health issues, but it´s belived her father and husband wanted to control the kingdoms.
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John Calvin was born in Noyon, France. He was the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation. He studied law in Orléans, where he was influenced by Renaissance humanism. John had to leave Paris because of his participation in the reform movement. During his life, Calvin used Protestant principles to establish a religious government, and he was given absolute supremacy as leader in Geneva.
John Calvin -
Charles V was the son of Juana I of Castilla and Felipe el hermoso.He was the first king of the Habsburg dynasty in Spain. Even though he had inherited a huge number of territories (Castilla, Aragón, Italy, America, Austria, The Netherlands…) he expanded it towards Mexico and Peru. “Plus Ultra” is the sentence that his used during his expansion and which appears in the Spanish flag, surrounding the Hercule columns. Link
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Martin Luther was born in Saxony, Germany. He studied law because of his father wishes, but later on left his studies and entered the monastery of the Order of the Hermits of St. Augustine.Then, he began the study of theology. Luther had some disagreements with the Church, so he wrote 95 theses and showed them in Wittenberg. Even though it wasn’t his intention, this was the beginning of the division of the Church to Protestantism.
Martin Luther 95 theses -
Henry VIII, born in Greenwich, was the king of England for 36 years. In 109, Henry and Catatlina de Aragón (Henry’s brother widow) married. She had 6 child, but only one daughter survived. King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife, Catalina de Aragón and marry Anne Boleyn, but the Pope didn’t approve it. Therefore, Henry presented the Act of Supremacy which was passed and he became the Head of the Church of England.
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The Council of Trent was a meeting held by the Catholic clerics as a response to the Protestant reformation. It was done in three sessions, it reaffirmed the authority of the Catholic clergy and condemned the Protestant theology. At first, it was meant to involve both Protestant and Catholic clergy, but disagreements and war made Catholics deny the Protestants to vote in any decision, and the Protestant not to attend it.
Council of Trent -
Felipe II, son of Carlos I and Isabel de Portugal, was the king of Spain, Portugal, Naples and Sicily (as well England and Ireland when he was married to Mary Tudor). His government methods have become famous, with his advisers helping him in different topics. He married four times, which led him to be in charge of numerous territories. One of the things that stand out during his period in charge is the monastery “El Escorial”
Felipe II -
Felipe III was the son of Felipe II and Anna of Austria. His reign is known for being indifferent to his responsibilities, and leaving the control to the Duke of Lerma. He married his cousin, Margaret of Austria and they had eight children. One intervention of Felipe III is the expulsion of the Moriscos (who were Moors converted to Christianity). Around 300.000 Moriscos were expelled, meaning a huge economic loss.Link
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Diego Velázquez, born in Sevilla, was the most important painter during the 17th century. He is still known by his realistic portraits when he was a member of King Philip IV court. When he was 11 he was taught by a local painter, Francisco Pacheco, his early paintings had religious themes but he was also influenced by naturalism.The count- duke of Olivares recommended him to Philip IV and he became part of his court painters.
Famous paintings by Velázquez -
Felipe IV, was the son of Felipe III and Margaret of Austria. During his period in charge, the power of Spain declained. He failed to control the north Netherlands and lost wars against France. However, in Spain he proved to be an important patron of the arts. His court painter was Velázquez, who painted some famous portraits of Felipe IV. Felipe IV portrait by Velázquez
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Carlos II (known as El hechizado) was the son of Felipe IV and Mariana of Austria. He was the last king of the Habsburg dynasty. His reign is known for his bad health conditions during all his life. He was unable to walk until he was six years old,and although he married two times,he could not have children, which lead him to mental health problems and the Spanish Succession War years after his death. Carlos II
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It began due to the disagreement of the successor to the throne of Spain, after the death of Charles II (the last Spanish Habsburg who died without heir). The main purpose was to determine whether the Spanish Empire should pass to the Habsburgs or to the Bourbons. The war ended with Philip V as king and the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, which marked the rise of Britain’s power.
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In 1789, in France, a revolution by the third- estate citizens began against the monarchy and the feudal system.This revolution began due to the high taxes imposed by Louis XVI, who was later guillotined. The French Revolution ended up with the French monarchy, established the First French Republic and meant the rise of Napoleon. It is considered one of the defining events of Western history.
Web and video with more information