1355

Political Events

The Bohemian king Charles of Luxembourg receives the Iron Crown of Lombardy at Milan early in the year and is crowned Holy Roman Emperor at Rome at Easter (see 1354). Now 38, Charles promptly returns to his native Prague, leaving the Italians to work out their own disputes, and will rule until his death in 1378 as the emperor Charles IV.

Norway's Magnus II Eriksson abdicates the Norwegian throne that he has held since 1319 although he has spent nearly all his time in Sweden (see 1343). Magnus's son, now 16, will reign until 1380 as Haakon VI Magnusson (see 1362).

Venice's doge Marino Faliero leads a plebeian plot against the city-state's ruling patricians, the conspiracy is discovered, and Faliero is executed April 17 at age 80 along with other conspirators. Venice and Genoa make peace in May, Admiral Niccolo Pisani is released, and he will spend the rest of his life in obscurity.

Bernabo and Galeazzo Visconti use poison to assassinate their brother Matteo II at Monza September 29 and divide his possessions (see 1354). Ruling at Milan, Barnabo will war with Florence, Venice, Savoy, and Pope Innocent VI to pursue his intrigues, indulging in gratuitous acts of cruelty, levying heavy taxes on his part of Lombardy, and forcing his vassals to pay him one third to one half their wealth two or three times per year. Galeazzo will rule from Pavia, living only on his rents and using his diplomatic skills as he becomes an ostentatious patron of the arts and learning, founding a library and university.

France's Jean II obtains a grant of funds to resist England's 25-year-old Black Prince Edward, 25, son of Edward III, who wears black armor and is laying waste the country. Edward fails to take the citadel of Carcassonne but burns its 115-year-old Ville Basse.

The French king encounters opposition led by clothier Etienne Marcel, 39, the richest man in Paris, who persuades the Estates General of Languedoc and Langue d'Oil to compel Jean to consult with the Estates before imposing new tax levies and to let a commission from the Estates supervise collection and expenditure of the tax moneys. Jean induces the Estates General to adjourn, proceeds to debase the nation's coinage in the interests of his treasury (see Oresme, 1372), and organizes opposition to the Estates General (see 1357).

Inês Pires de Castro is murdered with the connivance of Portugal's Afonso IV, who wants to preserve the legitimate succession to the throne. She has been the mistress of his son, Crown Prince Pedro, and Afonso is fearful that her brothers in Galicia will gain control of the government. Pedro claims that he had married Inês, organizes a revolt, and lays siege to Oporto (see 1357).

The Byzantine co-emperor John V Palaeologus retakes Constantinople early in the year with Venetian help and support from his 20-year-old cousin Amadeus VI, conte di Savoy; he forces John VI Cantacuzenus, now 62, to abdicate and retire to a monastery after an 8-year reign in which he has imposed heavy taxes in a vain effort to pay his foreign mercenaries. John V Palaeologus will reign until his death in 1391, except for the years 1376 to 1379, when his rebellious son Andronicus will reign.

Serbia's Stefan Dusan dies suddenly December 20 at age 47 after a 24-year reign in which for the last 9 years he has been emperor of the Serbs and Greeks. Having brought his country to height of its influence and given it a new code of laws, he is succeeded by his son Uros, who will not be able to keep the empire from shrinking or to retain the Nemanja succession that began in 1169.

The onetime Buddhist monk Zhu Yuanzhang (Chu Yüan-chang), 27, leads a revolt against Mongol domination of China, taking advantage of local unrest to seize Jiang Ning (Chiang-ning, later to be called Nanjing [Nanking]) and end the state of anarchy that has existed. A military deserter, drifter, and petty criminal who was orphaned at age 13, Zhu became a monk to avoid starvation, and he remained illiterate until he reached maturity. He sets up an orderly government and with help from his 23-year-old general Xu Da (Hsü Ta) will soon annex the holdings of neighboring southern warlords during a period when central and northern China are suffering from drought and famine that will cause more than 7 million people to starve to death (see Ming dynasty, 1368).

Religion

The illegitimate son of Castile's Alfonso XI massacres 1,200 Jews at Toledo May 7. Now 22, Count Enrique de Trastámara will play a notable role in Spanish history (see politics, 1367).

Art

Painting: Madonna and Child with Angels by painter Taddeo Gaddi, now 55.

1351 1352 1353 1354 1355 1356 1357 1358 1359 1360