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Reformation

The Reformation was a Christian

movement of the 1500s. Its

followers criticized the Catholic

Church for corruption and called

for radical reform. These protestors

became known as Protestants.

WHO LED THE REFORMATION?

The Reformation began in 1517 when a German

monk, Martin Luther, nailed a list of complaints to the

church door in Wittenberg. Other preachers spread the

Protestant message across northern Europe. They

called for simpler forms of worship and personal faith.

WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE REFORMATION?

The success of the Protestants aroused fear and anger

among Catholics in Rome. A period of religious strife

began, which tore Europe apart for hundreds of years.

Each side murdered its opponents. Churches and

monasteries were destroyed. Civil and national wars

caused devastation and streams of refugees.

WHAT CAN WE SEE OF THE RENAISSANCE TODAY?

Many Italian cities still have splendid palaces,

churches, libraries, and public squares built during the

Renaissance. Visitors to Rome can wonder at the

ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, created by Michelangelo,

or the masterpieces painted by Raphael.

1 PRINTED SCRIPTURE

This Bible was printed by a

German man called Johannes

Gutenberg in about 1455.

Printing with movable type

made it possible to distribute the

Bible and other works to large

numbers of ordinary people.

Martin Luther later translated the

Bible from Latin into German.

1 NORTHERN FRINGES

In Poland, rulers and merchants looked south to Italy and admired the

architecture of the Renaissance. This classical facade is in the town of

Zamosc, founded in 1579 by Jan Zamoysky, who had studied in Padua.

WHY DID FLORENCE FLOURISH?

The Renaissance was a period

of great social change, when

more and more political power

came from money and trade.

The Italian city of Florence was

a European centre of banking. Its

leading family, the Medici, loaned

money to popes and kings. It was the

Medici fortune which paid the wages

of artists such as Michelangelo and

Leonardo da Vinci.

PATRONAGE

Patronage is the support given

by the wealthy to artists,

writers and musicians.

Renaissance patrons included

the French royal family and

powerful Italian nobles such

as the Sforzas, the Medicis,

and the Borgias.

1517 German monk Martin Luther demands reform

1518 Swiss preacher Ulrich Zwingli calls for change

1541 John Calvin founds a Protestant Church, Geneva

1545 Catholics launch a Counter-Reformation

1560 John Knox founds Protestant Church of Scotland

1562 Wars between Catholics and Protestants in France

1568 Dutch Protestants begin revolt against Catholic Spain

RELIGIOUS CONFLICT, EUROPE 1517–1568

Wings are powered
by pushing the pedals

Latin

was rejected

by Protestants

because few

could read it

Biblical king
is shown as a
Renaissance prince

s

Renaissance

Reformation