Illustrated Timeline of Medieval Europe
To help put many of the religious buildings featured on Sacred Destinations into context, below is a timeline of medieval Europe that emphasizes religious events and architectural landmarks. This is an ongoing project that will continue to be expanded over time.
The Arch of Constantine (c.313 AD). Photo
Mark Skeet.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna. Photo
James Macdonald.
The massive interior of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.
Lindisfarne Priory (634) in northeast England. Photo
Chris Moore. 
Charlmagne's Palatine Chapel (792-805) in Aachen, Germany.
Saxon St Mary's Priory in Deerhurst, England (804).
The Byzantine-influenced St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy (1063).
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral at sunset. Photo
Javier Pais.
Durham Cathedral, England (1093). Photo
Nicholas Thompson.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Crusader rebuild, 1149). © Torie Partridge
Medieval portrait of St. Thomas Becket (d.1170) in Canterbury Cathedral.
Basilica di San Francesco (1230) in Assisi. Photo
Aaron Logan.
Exeter Cathedral: Norman tower (1112-33), Gothic rebuild (1275-1369).
| Dates | Historical Events; Notable Religious Architecture and Art |
| 303-04 | Last major persecution of Christians, under Diocletian |
| 312 | Constantine defeats Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge outside Rome, becoming emperor of the West |
| 313 | Edict of Milan: Christianity officially tolerated by the Roman Empire. Arch of Constantine built near the Forum in Rome (c.313-15) |
| c.321 | Constantine founds St. Peter's Basilica in Rome |
| 330 | Constantinople is designated the capital of the Roman Empire. Constantine founds the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem |
| c.350 | Santa Costanza constructed in Rome (burial place of Constantine's sister). |
| 361-63 | Brief restoration of paganism under Julian the Apostate |
| 374 | Ambrose becomes Bishop of Milan (374-97) |
| 380 | Emperor Theodosius outlaws pagan religion; Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire. Completion of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. |
| c.382 | Work begins on St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls in Rome (c.382). |
| 395 | Roman Empire divides into East and West upon the death of Theodosius |
| 402 | Capital of Western Roman Empire moves from Rome to Ravenna |
| 410 | Rome sacked by the Visigoths, led by Alaric. Roman legions are withdrawn from Britain. Roman Baths in Bath, England, fall into disrepair. |
| 413-18 | St. Augustine of Hippo writes The City of God, addressing the fate of Rome. |
| 422-32 | Santa Sabina built in Rome |
| 424 | Mausoleum of Galla Placidia built in Ravenna |
| 455 | Rome sacked by Genseric and the Vandals |
| 470 | Church of St. Martin built at Tours |
| 488 | Theodoric and the Ostrogoths conquer northern Italy |
| 493 | Construction begins on Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna |
| 496 | Baptism of Clovis, king of the Franks |
| 527 | Justinian becomes Byzantine emperor |
| 529 | Benedict of Nursia founds Montecassino Abbey and the Benedictine order. |
| 532-7 | The Hagia Sophia is built in Constantinople by Justinian |
| 540 | Byzantine army defeats the Ostrogoths and conquers northern Italy |
| 547 | San Vitale in Ravenna is completed |
| 549 | Sant' Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna is completed |
| 563 | Columba founds Iona Abbey in Scotland |
| 568 | Byzantines driven out of northern Italy by Longobards, who establish capital at Pavia |
| 585 | Spain conquered by Visigoths |
| 590 | Gregory I "the Great" becomes pope (590-604). Construction of ring crypt at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. |
| 597 | Pope Gregory the Great sends St. Augustine to convert England. He establishes his base at St. Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. |
| 634 | Foundation of Lindisfarne Monastery in northern England |
| 638 | Jerusalem captured by Muslim armies |
| 661 | Foundation of San Juan de Banos by King Recceswinth |
| 669 | Reculver Church in Kent, England, built by a priest |
| 674 | Consecration of Monkwearmouth Church |
| 711 | Muslim armies conquer Visigothic kingdom in Spain |
| 732 | Muslim advance into France halted at Poitiers by Chales Martel |
| 754 | St. Boniface, apostle of Germany, is martyred in Frisia, later buried at Fulda |
| 755 | Abbot Fulrad begins work on a new Basilica of St. Denis |
| 768 | Charlemagne becomes king of the Franks |
| 774 | Charlemagne conquers Lombardy |
| c.790 | Construction begins on new church at Fulda to honor St. Boniface |
| c.792 | Construction begins on the Palatine Chapel at Aachen (consecrated 805) |
| 793 | Viking raids on Britian begin; Lindisfarne Monastery attacked |
| c.799 | Abbot Angilbert begins a church at St. Riquier (Centula) |
| 800 | On Christmas Day, Charlemagne is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III |
| 804 | St. Mary's Priory founded by a Saxon king at Deerhurst, England |
| 813 | Miraculous discovery of the relics of St. James at Compostela, Spain |
| 827 | Consecration of church at Steinbach, Germany |
| 830 | The famous Plan of St. Gall is drawn up in Switzerland |
| 843 | Treaty of Verdun: Carolingian Empire divided into East Francia, West Francia, and Lotharingia |
| 859 | Consecration of crypt at St. Germain, Auxerre, by Emperor Charles the Bald |
| c.900 | Beginning of the Reconquista of Spain by Alfonso III of Castille |
| 909 | Foundation of the Abbey of Cluny |
| 913 | Consecration of San Miguel de Escalada |
| 936 | Otto I, duke of Saxony, becomes King of Germany (936-73) |
| 962 | Otto I crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome by Pope John XII |
| 971-80 | Construction of a westblock at Winchester |
| 976 | Demolition of westwork at Rheims |
| 1001-18 | Rotunda constructed at St. Benigne, Dijon |
| 1009 | Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem destroyed by Caliph Al Hakim |
| 1010-33 | St. Michael's in Hildesheim constructed |
| 1025 | Crypt constructed at Auxerre Cathedral |
| 1026 | Abbot Gauzlin builds west tower at St-Benoit-sur-Loire, France |
| 1030 | Ottmarsheim Abbey Church in Alsace built, based on Aachen's Palatine Chapel |
| c.1035 | Construction of San Pedro de Roda |
| c.1030 | Construction begins on Speyer Cathedral in Germany |
| c.1040 | Church of St. Vincent built at Cardona. Stone cloister with marble columns built at Cluny Abbey. Construction begins on abbey church at Jumieges (to 1067). |
| 1048 | Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem rebuilt under Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomachus. |
| 1061 | William, Duke of Normandy, founds the monastery of St. Etienne in Caen |
| 1063 | Work begins on St. Mark's Basilica in Venice |
| 1066 | Battle of Hastings: William, Duke of Normandy defeats the Anglo-Saxon King Harold and conquers England. Battle Abbey founded on the site of King Harold's death (1070). |
| 1066-71 | New church built at Montecassino under Abbot Desiderius |
| 1070-77 | Canterbury Cathedral rebuilt under Archbishop Lanfranc |
| 1071 | Normans conquer southern Italy |
| 1075 | Pope Gregory VII initiates the Investiture Contest (1075-1122) between the pope and German Emperors. Construction of San Nazaro in Milan. |
| 1078 | Construction begins on the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which would become the most popular medieval pilgrimage destination in Europe |
| 1079 | Cathedral of Winchester rebuilt under Bishop Walkelin |
| 1080 | The earliest capitals with narrative carvings appear at the church in Chauvigny, France, bearing the signature of the sculptor Gofridus |
| 1081 | Speyer Cathedral is remodeled with groin vaults (to 1106) |
| 1082 | Work begins on St. Sernin in Toulouse |
| 1085 | Battle of Toledo: King Alfonso VI defeats the Muslims |
| 1087 | Relics of St. Nicholas stolen from Myra in Turkey and taken to Bari, Italy. Church of St. Nicholas founded at Bari to house the relics. |
| 1088 | New abbey church (Cluny III) founded at Cluny |
| 1093 | Construction begins on Durham Cathedral in northern England. It is the first cathedral in Europe to be fitted with stone rib vaulting. |
| 1095 | Pope Urban II preaches the First Crusade at Clermont, France |
| 1098 | Foundation of monastery at Citeaux marks the birth of the Cistercian Order |
| 1099 | Jerusalem captured by Crusaders on July 15. Modena Cathedral and new Trani Cathedral founded in Italy. |
| 1121 | Construction begins on the Norman Exeter Cathedral (towers remain from this period; the rest was rebuilt in the Gothic style) |
| 1115 | Foundation of Clairvaux Monastery, with St. Bernard as abbot (1115-53) |
| 1120 | Start of reconstruction on the nave at Vezelay after a fire. Work begins on Church of St. Front at Perigueux. Construction on Autun Cathedral begins. |
| c.1130 | The intriguing Church of St. Sepulchre built in Cambridge |
| 1132 | Fountains Abbey founded |
| 1139 | Abbey of Fontenay begun |
| 1140 | Reconstruction of choir at St. Denis in a Gothic style. Kilpeck Church in England built in Romanesque style and adorned with sculptures. |
| 1149 | Consecration of Crusader Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
| 1150 | Work begins on southwest tower and spire of Chartres Cathedral |
| 1151 | Romanesque Double Church at Schwarzrheindorf completed near Bonn |
| 1152 | Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to King Louis VII of France is annulled. She immediately marries Henry Plantagenet, who becomes King Henry II of England in 1154. Eleanor's court at Poitiers becomes a center of poetry and culture. |
| 1153 | Work begins on Pisa Baptistery |
| 1160 | Laon Cathedral begun in the Gothic style |
| 1170 | Murder of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29. Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland begins. |
| 1173 | Work begins on the campanile ('Leaning Tower') at Pisa |
| 1186 | The vaults collapse at Lincoln Cathedral |
| 1194 | Fire destroys the Romanesque Chartres Cathedral |
| 1210-50 | Installation of extensive stained glass windows of the highest quality in Chartres Cathedral, which still survives today |
| 1215 | King John of England is forced to sign the Magna Carta |
| 1230 | Basilica di San Francesco is founded in Assisi, Italy |
| 1237 | King (later Saint) Louis IX of France buys the Crown of Thorns from the Byzantine emperor, then begins construction on the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to house the relic |
| 1309-67 | Papacy is based in Avignon instead of Rome. The grand Palais des Papes is built in Avignon for the popes. |
| 1337 | Beginning of the Hundred Years' War between England and France over the succession to the French throne |
| 1348 | The Black Death arrives in France, killing over a third of the population |
| 1369 | The Decorated Gothic remodeling of Exeter Cathedral is completed. |
