Middle Ages Almanac | The Late Middle Ages

• Pestilence and war
• Words to Know: The Late Middle Ages
• The Iberian Peninsula
• The people and the powers
• Plate Armor
• For More Information

The period known as the Late Middle Ages (1300–1500) can also be considered the beginning of the Renaissance, which had its roots in the changes that began to gather speed during those two centuries. Yet there was plenty about this time that was truly medieval, and whereas some events pointed to the future, other occurrences signaled the end of an era. Among these were the upheaval created by the Black Death and Hundred Years' War, and the decline of the two institutions that had long dominated European life: feudalism and the papacy.