Edad Media en 10 minutos

The Middle Ages is the historical period of Western civilization spanning from the 5th to the 15th centuries. Its beginning is usually placed in 476 with the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and its end in 1492 with the discovery of America, although it is also sometimes placed in 1453 with the fall of Constantinople. This latter date is

unique in that it coincides with Gutenberg's invention of the printing press and also with the end of the Hundred Years' War, a war that actually lasted 116 years between the kingdoms of France and England. This war was feudal in origin, as its purpose was to resolve who would control the vast possessions accumulated by

English kings since 1154 in French territories due to the ascension of Henry I Plantagenet to the English throne. It had international implications and finally, after numerous twists and turns, resulted in the English withdrawal from French lands. In the Middle Ages, the slave mode of production was replaced by a feudal mode of production based on

serfdom, and a breakdown of social structures also occurred. The centralized power of the Roman Empire gave way to a dispersion of ideological and cultural power. A blending of classical culture with the monotheistic Christian and Islamic cultures occurred, each in its own sphere. The Middle Ages are usually divided into two major periods: the Early or High

Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries) and the Late Middle Ages (11th to 15th centuries). As we have seen, the Middle Ages lasted about 1000 years, and in 1000 years many things happened. On the one hand, in the East, we have the history of the Eastern Roman Empire, nicknamed the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in