On this date in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict expelling Jews from Spain. Find out more, and find out what else happened on March ... Read More

Who was Celestine, and what happened to him when he was 85 years old? Find out through the page for March 30 in This Date in Medieval History.

Was the Magnificent Medieval Women quiz too tough with 20 questions and 30 possible answers? Then try your hand at this simpler quiz about general women's history in the Middle Ages: 10 quick questions ... Read More

The deadliest battle of the Wars of the Roses and the one that secured the throne for Edward IV was the Battle of Towton, which took place on this date ... Read More

Fra Bartolomeo, an artist whose works exemplified the High Renaissance, was born on this date in 1472. Find out more about him, and find out who else was born on ... Read More

The Battle of the Thirty, part of the struggle for succession to the duchy of Brittany and the basis for future legends, took place on this date in 1351. ... Read More

Forum regular theswain writes: I'm wondering if folk here might be interested in doing monthly or bimonthly readings in the medieval world: we develop a list, read a book, and then ... Read More

After rival plotters managed to get the renowned scholar Sugawara Michizane demoted and banished to Kyushu, he died on this date in 903. Then things got . . . mythic. ... Read More

One of the delights of the Alhambra is the variety of fountains and gardens. This fountain, in a carefully-tended garden with finely-cut hedges, is one of the prettiest. Enjoy it in our latest jigsaw, ... Read More

On this date in 1305, the Arena Chapel in Padua was consecrated. What was so significant about this chapel? Visit This Date in Medieval History to find out, and see ... Read More

On this date in 809, Harun al-Rashid died. He was the fifth Abbasid caliph and possible inspiration for King Shahryar of The Thousand and One Nights. What else happened on ... Read More

Saintly and celibate, the third Anglo-Saxon king to be called "Edward" was known as "the Confessor" for his piety. Maybe he was a little too pious -- by not sleeping with his ... Read More

There were a lot of popes in the Middle Ages. A lot of popes. In fact, from the late fifth through the fifteenth century, there were more than 150 popes. A few ... Read More

Lawyer, health-care policy analyst and enthusiastic medievalist Madeleine Pelner Cosman died on March 2 in Escondido, California, from complications of scleroderma. Ms. Cosman's diverse interests led her to found the ... Read More

The Templar Knights had grown rich and powerful, and so King Philip the Fair of France saw them as the perfect target. He had them arrested, and convinced his pet ... Read More

Poor King Louis VII. His strong-willed wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was more than he could handle, and what's more, she only gave him daughters. After rumors of an affair and attempts at reconciliation, ... Read More

There are statues of Charlemagne in several cities of Europe, from Aachen to Zurich, indicating his significance in the early history of so many different countries. This statue of Charlemagne on horseback can ... Read More

Considered a usurper by some scholars, Henry IV of England is looked on by others as a man who did what he had to do. After a long, debilitating illness, ... Read More

Who was James Douglas, and what did he have to do with a raid that took place on this date in 1227? Find out through the page for March 19 ... Read More

Who needs a pope? On this date in 1229, Frederick II crowned himself king of Jerusalem. Find out more, and find out what else happened on March 18 through our ... Read More

We recognize his life on the date of his death with raucous celebrations, yet he was a fairly sober figure in history. Who was St. Patrick? Find out through his ... Read More

Jost Amman Bartolomeo Ammanati Marcellinus Ammianus Scippione Ammirato Saint ... Read More

On this date in 1190, one of the most shameful episodes in English history took place. Find out what it was, as well as what other events took place on ... Read More

On this date in 933, Henry I of Germany defeated the Magyars at Riade. Find out more about it through the page for March 15 in This Date in Medieval History.

The scholar Einhard, historian and biographer of Charlemagne, died on this date in 840. Find out what other events took place on March 14 through the This Date in Medieval History feature.

On March 13, 483, Felix III was elected to the papacy in the midst of a controversy over Monophysitism. He would set events in motion that would lead to the first significant schism ... Read More

In the marvelous Alhambra fortress, one of the many courtyards features a fountain surrounded by a dozen marble lions. Our latest jigsaw is of this courtyard, which Washington Irving called "the abode of beauty."

Pope Saint Gregory the Great, the foremost influence in the shaping of the medieval papacy, died on this date in 604. What else happened on March 12? Find out through our This Date in ... Read More

If you've got the Discovery Times Channel, don't miss The Real Da Vinci Code, an excellent documentary that punctures the myths from Dan Brown's book (as well as Holy Blood, ... Read More

Giovanni de'Medici, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, was elected to the papacy on this date in 1513. Find out just what kind of a pope he was, as well as what other events ... Read More

King Ferdinand of Aragon was born on this date in 1452. His marriage to Isabella of Castile would eventually result in a united Spain. Find out more about him, and find out ... Read More

He was the Prince of Novgorod and Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir, and he is renowned for stopping the advance of the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights into Russia. He won ... Read More

Humanist scholar, historian, and secretary to the papal chancery Leonardo Bruni died on this date in 1444. Find out more about him through This Date in Medieval History, and see what other events ... Read More

OK, I'm not really Queen Elizabeth, or any queen. I'm just a humble history buff. But if I were a Tudor queen, Queen Elizabeth is the queen I'd be. Which ... Read More

Saint John of God, patron of hospitals and the dying, was born on this date in 1495. To find out what else happened on March 8, please visit This Date in Medieval ... Read More

On this date in 1274, theologian, writer and saint Thomas Aquinas died. Find out what else happened on March 7 in This Date in Medieval History.

The Old French chanson de geste of Amis et Amiles tells a story of friendship and sacrifice. Find out more about it in this article from the 1911 Encyclopedia.

Pope Nicholas V, who was born Tommaso Parentucelli, was elected pope on this date in 1447. He would become known as the Humanist Pope for his interest in promoting arts and learning. For ... Read More

On this date in 1133, King Henry II of England was born. Visit This Date in Medieval History to find out who shares his birthday and what other events happened on March 5.

Frederick Barbarossa - "Red Beard" -- was elected Holy Roman Emperor on this date in 1152. For more events of March 4 in the Middle Ages, check out This Date in Medieval History.

The fabulous Book of Kells included portraits of all the evangelists. This portrait of John has an intricate border is heavily decorated with luminous gold. Put it together in our latest jigsaw, and check ... Read More

On this date in 1514, Tahmasp I was born. Who was Tahmasp I? Find out through the page for March 3 in our This Date in Medieval History resource.

King Robert II of Scotland was born on this date in 1316. For who else was born and died on March 2, visit This Date in Medieval History.

Did yow know thatte Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog? By my feith, Y finde yt most amusinge. His animosity toward John Gower the "drama quene" notwithstandinge, thys new incarnacioun of oure 14th-centurie friend is ... Read More

On this date in 499, Pope Symmachus held a synod at Rome that addressed issues of electioneering. Find out what else happened on March 1 through This Date in Medieval History.