Where the Middle Ages Begin
Why the Great Schism of 1054 is often misunderstood. Explore how the split between the Catholic and Orthodox churches began centuries earlier, how the filioque controversy and Charlemagne’s imperial ambitions reshaped Christian authority, and why 1054 was not the true beginning of the schism.
What everyday objects did people use in the Middle Ages? From clothing and household necessities to tools for work and warfare, these 25 medieval items were essential to daily life and shaped how people lived, ate, and survived.
Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500.
Here are seven vivid facts about colour in the Middle Ages
In medieval times, many unique jobs, such as Ale-wife and Groom of the Stool, were essential but have since vanished. Discover these obsolete occupations and how historical changes led to their disappearance.
Are you wanting to talk more like someone from the Middle Ages? We have a list of 30 great sayings and proverbs that you can use in your conversations.
Have you wondered what a medieval king did on a typical day? Thanks to Christine de Pizan, we have an account of what daily life was like for King Charles V of France.
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Want to know what kind of jobs there were in the Middle Ages? A unique source from the 15th century gives us some beautiful images of medieval people at work.
Why the Great Schism of 1054 is often misunderstood. Explore how the split between the Catholic and Orthodox churches began centuries earlier, how the filioque controversy and Charlemagne’s imperial ambitions reshaped Christian authority, and why 1054 was not the true beginning of the schism.
At the end of the eighth century, the Abbasid caliph sent a letter to the Byzantine emperor. This book presents a new edition and translation of that remarkable text—one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam—offering a rare insight into how its author explained Islamic belief and set out what he believed Christianity had misunderstood.
A rare red-chalk drawing by Michelangelo has sold for US $27.2 million at Christie’s in New York, setting a new auction record for the Renaissance artist after around 45 minutes of intense bidding.
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, has long stood at the centre of Christian theology and devotion. This book explores how English monks expressed their reverence for her—and how they held her up as a model for Christian life.
How did Yuval Noah Harari move from a historian of medieval warfare to one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals? This article explores his path from medieval studies to global cultural prophecy—and the medieval roots of his ideas about history, power, and the future.
St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto will host Mappa Mundi: Mapping the Mediaeval World, an in-person symposium exploring medieval cartography and how people in the Middle Ages visualized and interpreted their world. The event will take place Saturday, April 11, 2026.
In 1192, Conrad of Montferrat, Jerusalem’s king-elect, was stabbed to death in crusader Acre—an infamous medieval assassination surrounded by suspects, politics, and mystery.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church faced deep and widely recognised crises of authority and reform. This book explores how two hermits responded with a striking proposal: that the pope himself should lead a new crusade as a remedy for the Church’s troubles.
A major exhibition in the German city of Paderborn is using rare manuscripts and archaeology to revisit a turning point in early medieval European history: the moment Charlemagne established a royal base in the region during his long, bitter wars against the Saxons.
A medieval manuscript that vanished in the upheaval of the Second World War has surfaced on the shelves of an American university, and is now heading home to Poland.
A look at the Picture Book of the Life of St John and the Apocalypse, a richly illustrated late medieval manuscript showing how Revelation was told through images.
Usury—the practice of lending money at interest—became a major social flashpoint in western Europe during the Middle Ages. This book traces how resentment of usury fuelled hostility that, in many places, escalated into the expulsion of Jewish communities and other Christian moneylenders.
A recent restoration at Rome’s early medieval church of San Lorenzo in Lucina has drawn attention after claims that an angel in a modern fresco resembles Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Discover how early medieval commanders were trained using books, manuals, and historical texts—revealing the role of reading in preparing leaders for war, sieges, and logistics.
Covering every region of the world, this book introduces readers to the many states and cultures that existed through an era of sweeping change and major catastrophes.
Explore the development of the Normans in Normandy, England, and the Mediterranean and learn about their political and cultural achievements. The five-week course starts February 7th.
No stealing, no talking, no women – the rules you had to follow in a medieval library!
Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Italian women left a clear imprint as rulers, writers, artists, and intellectuals. This book profiles 25 of them, tracing their lives, work, and the worlds they moved through.
The Assassins and the Knights Templar have become two of the most iconic groups of fighters from the period of the Crusades. In recent times, they have been popularised through the video game and movie franchise, Assassin’s Creed. But who were they really and how did they interact in the Holy Land?
Stone castles, brick churches, and orderly new towns still line the Baltic coast—evidence of how the Baltic Crusades remade a medieval frontier. Aleksander Pluskowski traces the routes of conquest and conversion through the sites you can visit today.
A conversation with Kevin van Bladel on his proposal regarding “The Classical Near East,” a constellation of fields defined by the classical literary…
An extraordinary archaeological discovery in eastern Germany has reunited a medieval bronze cross with the mould used to cast it—more than four decades after the mould itself was found.
A new AI-powered tool that has transcribed over 32,000 medieval manuscripts in four months, giving researchers a vast, searchable corpus and new ways to examine historical sources.
At the end of the eighth century, the Abbasid caliph sent a letter to the Byzantine emperor. This book presents a new edition and translation of that remarkable text—one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam—offering a rare insight into how its author explained Islamic belief and set out what he believed Christianity had misunderstood.
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.
The Assassins and the Knights Templar have become two of the most iconic groups of fighters from the period of the Crusades. In recent times, they have been popularised through the video game and movie franchise, Assassin’s Creed. But who were they really and how did they interact in the Holy Land?
A conversation with Kevin van Bladel on his proposal regarding “The Classical Near East,” a constellation of fields defined by the classical literary…
Scotland’s in turmoil in the 1330s—and Edward III spots an opening. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly break down the Battle of Dupplin Moor, where tactics, terrain, and timing turn chaos into catastrophe.
Byzantine Studies is still larger than Sumerology and Hittitology, but the numbers of our full-time faculty is shrinking. How can our fields navigate an uncertain future?
In the latest Q&A episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly tackle listener questions on Joan of Arc, standout new books on medieval warfare, and whether Richard III really killed the Princes in the Tower.
