Skip to content
Storiascopio
EN
ItalianoEnglishEspañolFrançaisDeutsch

Era 9 of 12 · from 1453 to 1700

Early modern age

Between the 15th and 17th centuries Europe changes its face. In Italy artists and scholars rediscover the ancient world and invent a new way of painting, building and thinking: this is the Renaissance. Printing with movable type makes books and ideas travel faster than ever. European navigators cross the oceans and meet peoples and continents they did not know, often with terrible consequences for the people who lived there. Meanwhile scientists learn to study the sky and the human body with instruments and experiments.

In Italian schools it is usually studied in lower secondary year 2

Go to the 25 events Quiz on this era Printable worksheet
Illustration of the era Early modern age
Illustration created with AI for Storiascopio

The 25 events, in time order

  1. artRenaissance perspectiveabout 1420
  2. artBrunelleschi completes the dome1436
  3. politicsThe fall of Constantinople1453
  4. science and technologyGutenberg prints the Bibleabout 1455
  5. peopleLorenzo de' Medici in Florence1469
  6. peopleLeonardo designs machinesabout 1485
  7. peopleColumbus's voyage1492
  8. peopleVasco da Gama reaches India1498
  9. artMichelangelo carves David1504
  10. artRaphael paints the Vatican Rooms1508
  11. politicsLuther and the Reformation1517
  12. politicsThe conquest of Tenochtitlán1521
  13. science and technologyThe first voyage round the world1522
  14. science and technologyCopernicus puts the Sun at the centre1543
  15. politicsThe Council of Trent1545–1563
  16. daily lifeTomatoes, maize and potatoes reach Europeabout 1550
  17. science and technologyThe Gregorian calendar1582
  18. artShakespeare's theatreabout 1590
  19. daily lifeRegular newspapers1605
  20. science and technologyGalileo turns his telescope to the sky1609
  21. science and technologyKepler describes the orbits1609
  22. peopleArtemisia Gentileschiabout 1612
  23. science and technologyHarvey studies the circulation of the blood1628
  24. science and technologyScientific academies1660
  25. science and technologyNewton publishes the Principia1687
Renaissance perspective: Florence, ItalyBrunelleschi completes the dome: Florence, ItalyThe fall of Constantinople: Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)Gutenberg prints the Bible: Mainz, GermanyLorenzo de' Medici in Florence: Florence, ItalyLeonardo designs machines: Milan, ItalyColumbus's voyage: Guanahani, the BahamasVasco da Gama reaches India: Calicut (now Kozhikode), IndiaMichelangelo carves David: Florence, ItalyRaphael paints the Vatican Rooms: Vatican Palaces, RomeLuther and the Reformation: Wittenberg, GermanyThe conquest of Tenochtitlán: Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City), MexicoThe first voyage round the world: Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain (departure and return)Copernicus puts the Sun at the centre: Frombork, PolandThe Council of Trent: Trento, ItalyTomatoes, maize and potatoes reach Europe: Seville, Spain (port of arrival from the Americas)The Gregorian calendar: Rome, ItalyShakespeare's theatre: London, EnglandRegular newspapers: Strasbourg (now France)Galileo turns his telescope to the sky: Padua, ItalyKepler describes the orbits: Prague (now Czech Republic)Artemisia Gentileschi: Rome and Florence, ItalyHarvey studies the circulation of the blood: London, EnglandScientific academies: London, England (and earlier Rome and Florence)Newton publishes the Principia: Cambridge and London, England
Map of the events: Early modern age

Did you know?

  • Brunelleschi's dome weighs about 37,000 tonnes and is still the largest brick dome ever built.
  • When the sailors came home from the first voyage round the world, they realised they had ‘lost’ a day: by always sailing west they had seen one sunset fewer than the people who stayed at home. Antonio Pigafetta noted it in his diary.
  • Not everyone adopted the Gregorian calendar straight away: Great Britain and its colonies did so only in 1752, and Russia not until 1918.

Test yourself

Ten questions on the era: multiple choice, before or after, put in order, match.

Quiz: Early modern age
Photo of Ciro Simone Irmici

Who's behind this

Ciro Simone Irmici

I'm Ciro Simone Irmici and I build free websites for learning and playing. I built Storiascopio with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I'm not a historian: if you find a mistake or would like one more event for your class, write to me.

More of my work: free audiobooks on YouTube · ebooks on Gumroad · Apple Books · music on Spotify and YouTube Music

@spartaco_94_ My website Write to me Why Storiascopio