Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery
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The political fortunes of France, the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and the Iberianpeninsularbetween 1400 and 1500 CE
What will we cover?
We begin by looking at the European situation in 1400 and the themes and issues we will explore during throughout the course.We then move on to look at the history of the individual nations: the Holy Roman Empire, Burgundy, France,Italyand Spain. Other topics willinclude:trade and commerce;European travel;the early Italian Renaissanceand Beyond Europe.We will conclude by looking at Europe in 1500.Please note that reference to England will be minimal as there is a separate English Cycle of courses runbyCity Lit.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Identifythe issues faced by Holy Roman Emperorsand how theysoughtto remedy them
Assess the validity of the term ‘the Theatre State’ used to describe the Burgundian territories
Compare and contrast the Portuguese and Spanish approaches towards exploration
Debate onwhether or notthere was a crisis of belief infifteenth-century Europe
Consider why the renaissance occurred in Italy and why Florence in particular?
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is for anyone with an enquiring mind and an enthusiasm for medieval history. No previous knowledge is necessary but a good understanding of English is essential.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Each week there will be an informative talk, using PowerPoint, during which class discussion will be encouraged. We shall use small group work to analyse original sources and a range of handouts will be available for discussion purposes. Occasionally small pieces of homework reading will be distributed to augment your knowledge. You are encouraged to bring along/describe items you have read in newspapers/heard on radio/seen on TV you think may be of interest to the group.
If you wish topurchasea book before the course I would recommend: D.Waley,andP.Denley(2001)Later MedievalEurope:1250-15203rdedn.Abingdon: Routledge
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs other than note-taking materials.
We’re sorry. We don’t have a bio ready for the tutor of this class at the moment, but we’re working on it! Watch this space.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/europe-in-the-age-of-discovery-1400-15001444588Europe in the Age of Discovery 1400-1500https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/e/u/europe-age-of-discovery-heh10-square.jpg279279GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/European history/Courses/Online courses228511771178118217311228511771178<p>Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery</p>003030970Europe in the Age of Discovery 1400-1500279279https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/e/u/europe-age-of-discovery-heh10-square_2.jpgInStockDaytimeFriOnlineAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-09-18T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allSep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHEH84279279Europe in the Age of Discovery 1400-1500223181279Vanessa Kingeurope-in-the-age-of-discovery-1400-1500/heh84-2627<p>Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery</p>0000-Available|2026-09-18 00:00:00<p>The political fortunes of France, the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and the Iberianpeninsularbetween 1400 and 1500 CE</p><p>Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery</p><p>We begin by looking at the European situation in 1400 and the themes and issues we will explore during throughout the course.We then move on to look at the history of the individual nations: the Holy Roman Empire, Burgundy, France,Italyand Spain. Other topics willinclude:trade and commerce;European travel;the early Italian Renaissanceand Beyond Europe.We will conclude by looking at Europe in 1500.Please note that reference to England will be minimal as there is a separate English Cycle of courses runbyCity Lit.</p><ul><li><p>Identifythe issues faced by Holy Roman Emperorsand how theysoughtto remedy them</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Assess the validity of the term ‘the Theatre State’ used to describe the Burgundian territories</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Compare and contrast the Portuguese and Spanish approaches towards exploration</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Debate onwhether or notthere was a crisis of belief infifteenth-century Europe</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Consider why the renaissance occurred in Italy and why Florence in particular?</p></li></ul><p>This course is for anyone with an enquiring mind and an enthusiasm for medieval history. No previous knowledge is necessary but a good understanding of English is essential.</p><p>Each week there will be an informative talk, using PowerPoint, during which class discussion will be encouraged.<br>We shall use small group work to analyse original sources and a range of handouts will be available for discussion<br>purposes. Occasionally small pieces of homework reading will be distributed to augment your knowledge. You are<br>encouraged to bring along/describe items you have read in newspapers/heard on radio/seen on TV you think may be of interest to the group.</p><p>If you wish topurchasea book before the course I would recommend: D.Waley,andP.Denley(2001)Later MedievalEurope:1250-15203rdedn.Abingdon: Routledge</p><p></p>There are no additional costs other than note-taking materials.HistoryEuropean historyvirtual223279181HEH84NONEFri18/09/26 - 04/12/2612:30 - 14:3012:3014:3010 sessions (over 12 weeks)105-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayOnlineOnlineVanessa KingBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-09-18T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanities279279Europe in the Age of Discovery 1400-1500europe-in-the-age-of-discovery-1400-1500/heh84-2627<p>Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery</p>0000-Available|2026-09-18 00:00:00<p>The political fortunes of France, the Holy Roman Empire, Italy and the Iberianpeninsularbetween 1400 and 1500 CE</p><p>Explore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery</p><p>We begin by looking at the European situation in 1400 and the themes and issues we will explore during throughout the course.We then move on to look at the history of the individual nations: the Holy Roman Empire, Burgundy, France,Italyand Spain. Other topics willinclude:trade and commerce;European travel;the early Italian Renaissanceand Beyond Europe.We will conclude by looking at Europe in 1500.Please note that reference to England will be minimal as there is a separate English Cycle of courses runbyCity Lit.</p><ul><li><p>Identifythe issues faced by Holy Roman Emperorsand how theysoughtto remedy them</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Assess the validity of the term ‘the Theatre State’ used to describe the Burgundian territories</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Compare and contrast the Portuguese and Spanish approaches towards exploration</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Debate onwhether or notthere was a crisis of belief infifteenth-century Europe</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Consider why the renaissance occurred in Italy and why Florence in particular?</p></li></ul><p>This course is for anyone with an enquiring mind and an enthusiasm for medieval history. No previous knowledge is necessary but a good understanding of English is essential.</p><p>Each week there will be an informative talk, using PowerPoint, during which class discussion will be encouraged.<br>We shall use small group work to analyse original sources and a range of handouts will be available for discussion<br>purposes. Occasionally small pieces of homework reading will be distributed to augment your knowledge. You are<br>encouraged to bring along/describe items you have read in newspapers/heard on radio/seen on TV you think may be of interest to the group.</p><p>If you wish topurchasea book before the course I would recommend: D.Waley,andP.Denley(2001)Later MedievalEurope:1250-15203rdedn.Abingdon: Routledge</p><p></p>There are no additional costs other than note-taking materials.HistoryEuropean historyconfigurable
11821178European historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/european-history1/2/285/1177/1178/11821/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/European history
