Late Middle Ages (Europe)
(1300 to 1453)
What happened?
The Late Middle Ages of the Late Medieval Period was a period in the Middle Ages of the history of Europe form about 1250 to 1500 AD. The period followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the Early Modern Age, and in much of Europe, the Renaissance.
Around 1300, centuries of prosperity and growth in Europe came to a hall. It is characterized by increasing urbanization in Europe, severe economic crises, a revival of money trade, the decline of the feudal system and with it on the power of the nobility. The long struggle between England and France, the Hundred Years' War, divided the unity of the Catholic Church by the Western Schism. A series of famines and plagues, including hte Great Famine of 1315-1317 and the Black Death reduced the population to around the half it had been before the calamities. The economy was also adversely affected. In some countries a start made on the establishment of a strong central authority.
Despite the crises, this was also a time of great progress in the arts and sciences. A renewed interesse in ancient Greek and Roman texts took root in the Late Middle Ages. The Italian Renaissance began. The absorption of Latin texts had started before through contact with Arabs during the crusades, but the availability of important Greek texts accelerated with the Capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. Many Byzantine scholars had sought refuge in the West, particulary Italy. This led to the invention of printing, which simplified distribution of the printed word and democratized learning. Those two things would lead to the Protestant Reformation.
Towards the end of these Ages, the Age of Discovery began. The Ottoman Empire cut off trading possibilities with the East. Europeans were forced to seek new trading routes. One of those expeditions under Christopher Columbus arrived in America in 1492. Vasco de Gama's voyage explored Africa and India in 1498. Their discoveries strengthened the economy of European nations.
Replica. Found: Indonesia (JN0200)
Long Pepper
± 1300 to ± 1400
This type of pepper from Indonesia was already present in Europe in Roman times. You will find it a lot in medieval dishes. It was the precursor to black pepper in our kitchen (2021). The Romans knew of both and often referred to as just ‘piper’. Pliny the Elder believed dried black pepper and long pepper came from the same plant. Black pepper began to compete with long pepper in Europe from the 12th century. It had replaced it by the 14th century.
The quest for cheaper and more dependable sources of black pepper fueled the Age of Discovery. After the discovery of the American continents and of chili pepper, called by the Spanish ‘pimiento’, employing their word for long pepper, did the popularity of long pepper fade away.
Some dried chili peppers are similar in shape and taste to long pepper, were easier to grow in a variety of locations more convenient to Europe. In 2021, long pepper is a rarity in general commerce.
It has an aroma of cinnamon, anise, and liquorice. The scent is reminiscent of "dog food" and is crushed before use.
Venice
± 1300 to ± 1400
Venice was founded in 421. The original Venice was little more than a trading post on Rialto Island. This was a time of serious decline in the power of the Western Roman Empire. 30 years later, Atilla the Hun toured the region.
As the empire struggled, the local coastal and island communities around the lagoon gathered for mutual protection. They created a loose form of self-government, electoral representatives or tribunes to decide on local issues. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the whole region was at the center of new conflicts. The Gothic War of 535-554 and the Lombard invasion of Northern Italy in 568 were the greatest. Each of those crises brought more people to the lagoon. As the population grew, it became more difficult for the stands to rule effectively. Therefore, in 697, the Doge or chief magistrate was appointed, by the people or not, to rule. They had enormous power and ruled in an almost autocratic way until the founding of the Great Council or Consilium Sapientis and subsequent smaller councils, which eventually became the complicated structure of the Venetian government.
The City of Canals, the City of Bridges, the City of Masks. Venice is known by many names and ruled by many hands. Despite its legendary history at the center of a long-lived republic, it's the ever-present Adriatic that shaped Venice's fortunes. It is to those waters that the city can eventually return.
This paving brick was uncovered during a renovation in the Cannaregio sestiere (= in a subdivision of Italian streets).
The city of Venice had a great influence on the trade and maritime transport in the region. Many Venetians traveled on, including the Polo family who went to the court of Kublai Khan in China. Venice was at war with the city of Genoa, their opponent on the other side of the Italian peninsula, as well as with other city-states such as Pisa. During these mutual battles, maritime republics generally tried to maintain a neutral position that they all relied on. But not always with success.
After about a hundred years of conflict, the Venetians ruled their rivals in Genoa in 1380. They became the dominant naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean, ruling the Adriatic Sea with a fleet of more than 3.300 ships. The Republic of Venice remained a powerful state for the next two centuries. As global routes shifted to the Atlantic Ocean, their power waned.
Hypocras is a slightly sweetened herbal wine that was drunk after meals with a small snack from the Middle Ages until well into the 18th century. The Greek physician Hippocrates, in the 5th century BC, filtered wine by running it through the sleeve of his tunic. The name would refer to this doctor. Sweetened with sugar or honey and flavored with spices and herbs, every cook had his own version of this wine. Grocers and pharmacists sold Hypocras mixes that could be added to the wine. Dragées (= spiced sweets) with different flavors were also sold.
Prescriptions for Hypocras have been found in various manuscripts. It was almost always made with red wine and ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey or sugar were included in the recipes. Grains of paradise, a forgotten spice that taste like black pepper and cardamom, were regularly made.
Hypocras served as a medicine to start digestion. But it was also a symbol of status. Spices were expensive and the richer you were, the spicier your wine was. This copy is made according to a French recipe from 1393. It is chilled (14 °C), a tasty aperitif and can be combined with a cheese platter and / or dried meat. It used to be drunk after dinner with fruits, cookies, confectionery, and jams.
Replica. Found: France (JN0215)
Burgonet
± 1384 to ± 1482
The Duchy of Burgundy was largely an independent territory within the Kingdom of France between 918 and 1482. It was later annexed by the King of France.
In the 15th century, the duchy consisted of many provinces in France and the Holy Roman Empire. Burgundy, under John the Fearless, became a threat to the French throne. The English king, Henry V, made a secret alliance with John the Fearless, promising not to assist the French king on the battlefield. At the battle of Agincourt, in 1415, the French army was destroyed.
By putting pressure, the throne of France was given to England. Philip the Good succeeded his father, the murdered John the Fearless. With diplomacy he managed to keep the peace between England and France. He expanded his territory into the Low Countries. His son, Charles the Bold, was almost crowned King of Lorraine by the German Emperor. Charles was killed shortly afterwards at the Battle of Nancy.
Mary of Burgundy inherited the Low Countries. Louis XI hoped to incorporate her empire through marriage. But she married the Austrian Maximilian, the Low Countries fell under the Habsburgs.
Replica. Found: Wervik, Belgium (JN0191)
Hypocras
± 1393
Hypocras is a slightly sweetened herbal wine that was drunk after meals with a small snack from the Middle Ages until well into the 18th century. The Greek physician Hippocrates, in the 5th century BC, filtered wine by running it through the sleeve of his tunic. The name would refer to this doctor. Sweetened with sugar or honey and flavored with spices and herbs, every cook had his own version of this wine. Grocers and pharmacists sold Hypocras mixes that could be added to the wine. Dragées (= spiced sweets) with different flavors were also sold.
Prescriptions for Hypocras have been found in various manuscripts. It was almost always made with red wine and ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey or sugar were included in the recipes. Grains of paradise, a forgotten spice that taste like black pepper and cardamom, were regularly made.
Hypocras served as a medicine to start digestion. But it was also a symbol of status. Spices were expensive and the richer you were, the spicier your wine was.
This copy is made according to a French recipe from 1393. It is chilled (14 °C), a tasty aperitif and can be combined with a cheese platter and / or dried meat. It used to be drunk after dinner with fruits, cookies, confectionery, and jams.
On Stand. Found: London, UK (JN0233)
Medieval Iron Saw
± 1400
Doctor was the supreme physician and usually looked and worked for the wealthy. The common man had to visit a surgeon who learned everything from a master. Operations were then done without anesthesia. The patient was often knocked out or had to drink a lot of alcohol to reduce the suffering. During the operation, the patient was held, and he could not make unexpected movements, with all the consequences that entailed. Often the patient died of inflammation after surgery.
In the Middle Ages there were two opinions about treating wounds. One believed in a wet wound treatment, the other in a dry one. Many doctors thought that pus and sanies were important during the healing process. Ointments were applied to the wound to produce sanies and pus. This was the wet treatment. Jan Yperman and Thomas Scellinck van Tienen, both surgeons in training in the 13th and 14th centuries, contradicted this method from experience. They had found that alcoholic beverages were good for disinfecting a wound. However, after an amputation, the wound was disinfected by pressing boiling hot rods against the skin. This is called cauterization. The surgeon also healed fractures and repositioned dislocated bones.
At the bottom of the medical ladder were the barbers. They were only allowed to engage in simple things, such as pulling teeth, shaving, cutting, etc. In the Middle Ages, many quack doctors were also without training. They sold fake drugs and performed bogus surgeries.
Our collection item is an interesting Medieval iron saw, possibly amputation one. But it could also be used during practicing torture.
Replica. Found: Spain (JN0313)
Medieval Battle Ax
± 1400 to ± 1500
The battle ax is an ax designed as a combat weapon. It has a lighter weight than the utility ax and the blade is flatter and usually crescent-shaped. Battle axes with a double blade did not exist. The only double axes were ceremonial objects. A double ax would be much heavier and would not benefit the warrior.
Battle axes have been used since ancient times. Excavations in Egypt and the Middle East found many. The Greek infantry used single axes. They also served the Roman soldiers and later the Vikings. Between 1100 and 1400 the hatchet's popularity declined. The sword was much more favorable. As the warriors armored themselves more against the sword, the ax was introduced in a new form. Here a point-shaped projection was important in the 15th century. The metal could be pierced. This is how the halberd was born.
In the late Middle Ages, better artillery was developed, bringing personal armor to an end. The battle ax also lost its use. Through colonization, Native Americans developed their tomahawk based on the hatchet. When the battle ax lost its function as a serious weapon, the ax, especially the halberd, took on a ceremonial function. The Swiss guard and the Suisse or church bailiff use them during ceremonies.
Authentic. Found: Europe (JN0675)
Chain Mail
± 1400 to ± 1500
This authentic four-in-one medieval chainmail set contains 5 connected rings. Medieval craftsmen hundreds of years ago assembled them. Such a pattern was the standard in Europe for hundreds of years.
The rings come from the fragments of a ruined garment dating from the 15th century. This marked the end of the chain mail in Europe, after more than a thousand years, as advanced plate armor supplanted such protection. All rings are forged and assembled by hand making each braid unique. There are variations in size, color, and texture. The chainmail was valued for its flexibility in combat and was the most important defense armor in Europe. A complete coat of mail consisted of thousands of rings beaten or riveted in their entirety from strands of wire.
A blacksmith wove the rings into sheets using a pattern of interlocking rings. The patterns varied by region. The pattern was determined by armament and fighting style. Given the labor-intensive process of weaving, chain mails were expensive to purchase, but easy to repair. The chain mail provided good protection against sharp knives; the force of the blow could not lessen it. For this reason, knights also wore quilted coats or gambesons under and over the chainmail.
The earliest chainmail dates to the Etruscans. The Celts created the chain mail industry in the 5th century with their 4-in-1 pattern. This means that each ring connects 4 other rings. The chainmail clothing was heavy. The hood could weigh 11 kg and a mail shirt more than 27 kg. There are two main types of mail shirts. On the one hand there was the chain mail, on the other there was the haburgeon, which was sleeveless.
Replica. Found: Toledo, Spain (JN0308)
Tizona Sword
± 1452
Toledo steel is known worldwide for its quality. Toledo is the capital of Castile-La Mancha in Spain. The city is situated on the right bank of the river Tagus, on a 100-meter-high hill, to form a pronounced and distinctive meander (= a loop in a natural watercourse), the "Torno del Tajo". The steel was unusually hard and has been a traditional center for making swords and steel at about 500 BC.
It came to the attention of the Romans when it was used by Hannibal in the Punic Wars. It became a standard resource for Roman weapons. The origin of Toledo steel comes from old Spanish customs. In the 16th – 19th century, the metal was mainly used to make weapons for armies. In times of war, armies were usually heavily armored and / or used shields. A tough and flexible weapon was needed against this violence, and the Toledo sword was that weapon. Daggers and short swords were also made with the metal. It became known for its strength and durability. Kings from all over the world had special weapons from Toledo. Other countries produced their own Toledo steel, such as the Damascus steel, but it was too hard and not flexible enough.
The Tizona sword is one of the most popular Spanish swords. The Cid Campeador beat the King Bucar of Morocco in Valencia and then passed it on to his cousin, Pedro Bermudez. According to Il Vantar del Mio Cid, the battle between the Cid and Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona, in Tevar, is told. The count was defeated and taken prisoner, and the Cid took possession of the sword "Colada". The sword Tizona, the same sword with which the Cid faced Count Lozano, killed to avenge his father, also belonged to the Castilian knight Mudarra.
In 1503, Gonzalo de Bricio was commissioned by Queen Isabel to make an inventory of the weapons found in the Alcázar of Segovia. Among those weapons was the Tizona. Between 1560 and 1621, brother Prudencio of Sandoval mentions in one of his works the sword owned by the Marquess of Falces, which was apparently given to him by the king as a reward. The craftsmen of "Acero Toledano" know how to bring the swords to life. The owner can proudly admire this sword in his home. It has a certified origin. Relief carvings of period motifs, the engraved word "Toledo" confirms its originality. The handle is wrapped in a hand-knotted wire of metal consistency.