1435 In Literature
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This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in the 15th century. __TOC__


Events

*1403 – A guild of stationers is founded in the City of London. As the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (the "Stationers' Company"), it continues to be a Livery Company in the 21st century. *1403–08 – The '' Yongle Encyclopedia'' is written in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. *c. 1408–11 –
An Leabhar Breac An Leabhar Breac ("The Speckled Book"; Middle Irish: An Lebar Brec), now less commonly Leabhar Mór Dúna Doighre (The Great Book of Dun Doighre") or possibly erroneously, Leabhar Breac Mic Aodhagáin ("The Speckled Book of the MacEgans"), is a ...
is probably compiled by
Murchadh Ó Cuindlis Murchadh (or Muircheartach) Riabhach Ó Cuindlis () was an Irish scribe of the Ó Cuindlis family of brehons and scholars. He was said to be a native of Bally Lough Deacker in what is now the extreme south of County Galway. Ó Cuindlis was on ...
at
Duniry Duniry is a small village between Tynagh and Abbey, in County Galway, Ireland. Nearby is the townland of Limehill, the south of which has a bog. Duniry's most noted landmark was Egan's castle, now derelict; it flourished from 1450 to 1600 and ...
in Ireland. *c. 1410 – John, Duke of Berry, commissions the '' Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry'', illustrated by the Limbourg brothers between c. 1412 and 1416. *1424 – The first French royal library is transferred by the English regent of France, John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, to England. *1425 – At about this date the first Guildhall Library (probably for theology) is established in the City of London under the will of Richard Whittington. *1434 – Japanese Noh actor and playwright Zeami Motokiyo is exiled to Sado Island by the Shōgun. *1438: 28 April – Completion of Margery Kempe's ''
The Book of Margery Kempe ''The Book of Margery Kempe'' is a medieval text attributed to Margery Kempe, an English Christian mystic and pilgrim who lived at the turn of the fifteenth century. It details Kempe's life, her travels, her alleged experiences of divine revelati ...
'', the first known English
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
, begins (by dictation) at
Bishop's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, no ...
in England; it will not be published in full until 1940. *1442 – Enea Piccolomini, the future Pope Pius II, arrives at the court of
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III (German: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the fourth king and first emperor of the House of Habsburg. He was the penultimate emperor to be crown ...
, in Vienna, who names him imperial poet. *1443 – King
Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...
establishes Hangul as the native alphabet of Korean. It is first described in the '' Hunminjeongeum'' published on 9 October 1446 *1444: 15 June –
Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...
founds a public library at San Marco, Florence, based on the collection of Niccolò de' Niccoli. *1448 – Pope Nicholas V founds the Vatican Library in Rome. *1450 –
Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and Artisan, craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable type, movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its ki ...
has set up his movable type printing press as a commercial operation in Mainz by this date and a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
poem has been printed. *1451 **1 August – A manuscript of Dante's '' Divine Comedy'' is sold in London. **Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire, England, presumed author of the chivalric tales of ''
Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
'', is imprisoned for most of the following decade on multiple charges including violent robbery and rape. *1452 – Completion of the Malatestiana Library (''Biblioteca Malatestiana'') in Cesena (in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, commissioned by the city's ruler Malatesta Novello), the first European public library, in the sense of belonging to the commune and open to all citizens. *1453 – Pageant of '' Coriolan'' staged in the piazza of
Milan Cathedral Milan Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Milano ; lmo, Domm de Milan ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary ( it, Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente, links=no), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombard ...
. *1455 **23 February –
Johannes Gutenberg Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (; – 3 February 1468) was a German inventor and Artisan, craftsman who introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable type, movable-type printing press. Though not the first of its ki ...
completes printing of the Gutenberg Bible in Mainz, the first major book printed with movable type in the West, using a ''textualis''
blackletter Blackletter (sometimes black letter), also known as Gothic script, Gothic minuscule, or Textura, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 until the 17th century. It continued to be commonly used for the Danish, Norweg ...
typeface. **5 June – French poet François Villon is implicated in a murder. *1457 **14 August – The
Mainz Psalter The ''Mainz Psalter'' was the second major book printed with movable type in the West; the first was the Gutenberg Bible. It is a psalter commissioned by the Mainz archbishop in 1457. The Psalter introduced several innovations: it was the f ...
, the second major book printed with movable type in the West, the first to be wholly finished mechanically (including colour) and the first to carry a printed date, is printed by
Johann Fust Johann Fust or Faust (c. 1400 – October 30, 1466) was an early German printer. Family background Fust was born to burgher family of Mainz, traceable back to the early thirteenth century. Members of the family held many civil and religiou ...
and
Peter Schoeffer Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
for the
Elector of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...
. **The Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi in Persia is known to be in existence. *1460 – From about this date, Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, begins to form the
Bibliotheca Corviniana Bibliotheca Corviniana was one of the most renowned libraries of the Renaissance world, established by Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in Buda Castle between 1458 and 1490. The books were transferred to Istanbul after the Hungarian defeat by th ...
, Europe's largest secular library. *1461 – Albrecht Pfister is pioneering movable type book printing in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
and the addition of woodcut illustrations in
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
, producing a collection of Ulrich Boner's fables, ''Der Edelstein'', the first book printed with illustrations. Soon after this he prints the first known '' Biblia pauperum'' (picture Bible). *1462: 10 September – Robert Henryson enrols as a teacher in the recently founded University of Glasgow in Scotland. *1462: 8 November – First known sentence written in
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, a Formula e pagëzimit (baptismal formula) by Archbishop
Pal Engjëlli Pal Ëngjëlli ( la, Paulus Angelus; 1416 – 1470) was an Albanian Roman Catholic cardinal, clergyman, scholar, and Archbishop of Durrës who in 1462 wrote the first known sentence retrieved so far in Albanian. Pal Ëngjëlli is reported to ...
. *1463: 5 January – François Villon is reprieved from hanging in Paris but never heard of again. *1465 – Having established the
Subiaco Press The Subiaco Press was a printing press located in Subiaco, Italy. The Press was established in 1464 by the German monks Arnold Pannartz and Konrad Sweynheim in the Abbey of Santa Scolastica, Subiaco. Sweynheim had worked with Johannes Gutenberg, th ...
at Subiaco in the Papal States in 1464, German printers Arnold Pannartz and Konrad Sweynheim produce an edition of Donatus (lost), a Cicero, ''
De Oratore ''De Oratore'' (''On the Orator''; not to be confused with ''Orator'') is a dialogue written by Cicero in 55 BC. It is set in 91 BC, when Lucius Licinius Crassus dies, just before the Social War and the civil war between Marius and Sulla, du ...
'' (September 1465) and
Lactantius Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cr ...
' ''De divinis institutionibus'' (October 1465), followed by Augustine's ''De civitate Dei'' in 1467, the first books to be printed in Italy, using a form of
Roman type In Latin script typography, roman is one of the three main kinds of historical type, alongside blackletter and italic. Roman type was modelled from a European scribal manuscript style of the 15th century, based on the pairing of inscriptional ...
. *1467 – German printers Arnold Pannartz and Konrad Sweynheim move from Subiaco to Rome where the
Massimo family The princely House of Massimo is one of the great aristocratic families of Rome, renowned for its influence on the politics, the church and the artistic heritage of the city. Legendary origins The Massimo family is sometimes referred to as one ...
place a house at their disposal and they publish an edition of Cicero's letters that gives its name to the typographic unit of measurement the cicero. *1468 **31 May – The Byzantine scholar Cardinal Basilios Bessarion donates his library to the Republic of Venice, the foundation of the Biblioteca Marciana. **The printers Johann and Wendelin of Speyer settle in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
; their first book published here, Cicero's ''Epistolae ad familiares'', appears in 1469. *1470 ** Johann Heynlin prints the first book in Paris, the ''Epistolae Gasparini'' of
Gasparinus de Bergamo Gasparinus de Bergamo (in Italian, ''Gasparino (da) Barzizza''; in French, ''Gasparin de Bergame''; in Latin, ''Gasparinus Barzizius Bergomensis'' or ''Pergamensis'') (c. 1360 – 1431) was an Italian grammarian and teacher noted for introduci ...
(d. c. 1431), a guide to writing Latin prose. **
Nicolas Jenson Nicholas Jenson (c. 1420 – 1480) was a French engraver, pioneer, printer and type designer who carried out most of his work in Venice, Italy. Jenson acted as Master of the French Royal Mint at Tours and is credited with being the creator of on ...
's edition of Eusebius, published in Venice, is the first book to use a
roman type In Latin script typography, roman is one of the three main kinds of historical type, alongside blackletter and italic. Roman type was modelled from a European scribal manuscript style of the 15th century, based on the pairing of inscriptional ...
based on the principles of typography rather than manuscript. **', a sermon printed in Cologne, is the first book to incorporate printed page numbers. *1473 **First book printed in Hungary, ''Chronica Hungarorum'', the "Buda Chronicle". **First known printing in Poland, '' Almanach cracoviense ad annum 1474'', a wall calendar. *1474 **First book printed in Spain, ', the anthology of a religious poetry contest held this year in Valencia. **Approximate date – Georgius Purbachius (Georg von Peuerbach)'s '' Theoricae nouae planetarum'' is published in Nuremberg, an early example of the application of color printing to an academic text. *1475 **February –
Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
appoints the humanist
Bartolomeo Platina Bartolomeo Sacchi (; 1421 – 21 September 1481), known as Platina (in Italian ''il Platina'' ) after his birthplace (Piadena), and commonly referred to in English as Bartolomeo Platina, was an Italian Renaissance humanist writer and gastro ...
as Prefect of the newly-re-established Vatican Library (''Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana'') in Rome after Platina has presented him with the manuscript of his ''Lives of the Popes''. ** Rashi's commentary on the Torah is the first dated book to be printed in Hebrew, in Reggio di Calabria. **(or 1473–74?) – '' Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye'' is the first book to be printed in English, by William Caxton in Bruges using his own translation made in 1471. *1476 **30 January – Constantine Lascaris's ''Erotemata'' ("Questions", also known as ''Grammatica Graeca'') is the first book to be printed entirely in Greek (in Milan). ** William Caxton sets up the first printing press in England, at Westminster. This year he prints improving pamphlets: ''Stans Puer ad Mensam'' ( John Lydgate's translation of Robert Grosseteste's treatise on table manners, printed together with ''Salve Regina''); ''The Churl and the Bird'' and ''The Horse, the Goose and the Sheep'' (both by Lydgate); and a parallel text edition of Cato with translation by Benjamin Burgh. **First performance of one of Terence's plays since antiquity, ''
Andria Andria (; Barese: ) is a city and ''comune'' in Apulia ( southern Italy). It is an agricultural and service center, producing wine, olives and almonds. It is the fourth-largest municipality in the Apulia region (behind Bari, Taranto, and Fogg ...
'' in Florence. *1477 **The first printed edition of Ptolemy's '' Geography'' (in Latin translation as ''Cosmographia'') with maps, published in Bologna, is the first printed book with engraved illustrations and also the first with maps by a known artist, the plates having been engraved by
Taddeo Crivelli Taddeo Crivelli ( fl. 1451, died by 1479), also known as Taddeo da Ferrara, was an Italian painter of illuminated manuscripts. He is considered one of the foremost 15th-century illuminators of the Ferrara school, and also has the distinction ...
of Ferrara (book wrongly dated 1462). **18 November – Caxton prints Earl Rivers' translation of '' Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres'', the first full-length book printed in England on a printing press. *1478 – In England **William Caxton publishes the first printed copy of the '' Canterbury Tales''. **The
Ranworth Antiphoner The Ranworth Antiphoner is a 15th-century illuminated antiphoner of the Sarum Rite. It was commissioned for the Church of St Helen in Ranworth in Norfolk, where it is now on display. The volume comprises 285 vellum pages of writing and illust ...
is presented to St Helen's Church,
Ranworth Ranworth is a village in Norfolk, England in The Broads, adjacent to Malthouse Broad and Ranworth Broad. It is located in the civil parish of Woodbastwick. The village's name origin is uncertain 'Edge enclosure' or perhaps, 'Randi's enclosure.' ...
. **17 December – First book printed in Oxford. *1479 **The St Albans Press, the third printing press in England, is set up in the Abbey Gateway, St. Albans. **Robert Ricart begins writing ''
The Maire of Bristowe is Kalendar ''The Maire of Bristowe is Kalendar (Ricart's Calendar)'' is a book compiled in the late 15th century by Robert Ricart, town clerk of Bristol, England. The work consists of six parts giving a history of England and of the city of Bristol, a list ...
'' in Bristol, England. *1480s (approximate date) –
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
makar Robert Henryson writes '' The Morall Fabillis of Esope the Phrygian''. *1482: 25 January – Probable first printing of the '' Torah'' (in Hebrew with vowels and marks of cantillation printed), with paraphrases in Aramaic and Rashi's commentary, printed in Bologna. *1483: 22 February – First known book printed in Croatian, the ''
Missale Romanum Glagolitice ''Missale Romanum Glagolitice'' ( hr, Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora) is a Croatian missal and incunabulum printed in 1483. It is written in Glagolitic script and is the first printed Croatian book. It is the first missal in Europe not publishe ...
(Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora)'', a
missal A missal is a liturgical book containing instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the liturgical year. Versions differ across liturgical tradition, period, and purpose, with some missals intended to enable a pries ...
printed in
Glagolitic script The Glagolitic script (, , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed to have been created in the 9th century by Saint Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica. He and his brother Saint Methodius were sent by the Byzan ...
, edited in
Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
and printed in either
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
or in Croatia at Kosinj. *1484: 22 June – First known book printed by a woman,
Anna Rügerin Anna Rügerin (died after 1484), is considered to be the first female typographer to inscribe her name in the colophon of a book, in the 15th century. In 1484, Rügerin printed two books in the in-folio format, in a press she owned in the city of ...
, an edition of Eike of Repgow's compendium of customary law, the '' Sachsenspiegel'', produced in Augsburg. *1485 – The play ''
Elckerlijc ''Elckerlijc'' (also known as ''Elckerlyc'') is a morality play from the Low Countries which was written in Dutch somewhere around the year 1470. It was first printed in 1495. The play was extremely successful and may have been the original sou ...
'' wins first prize in the
Rederijker Chambers of rhetoric ( nl, rederijkerskamers) were dramatic societies in the Low Countries. Their members were called Rederijkers (singular Rederijker), from the French word 'rhétoricien', and during the 15th and 16th centuries were mainly inte ...
contest in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. *1488 –
Duke Humfrey's Library Duke Humfrey's Library is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. It is named after Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, who donated 281 books after his death in 1447. Sections of the libraries we ...
at the University of Oxford receives its first books. *1490 **Chinese scholar Hua Sui invents
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
-metal movable type printing in China. **Publication in Valencia of the prose chivalric romance ''
Tirant lo Blanch ''Tirant lo Blanch'' ( ; modern spelling: ''Tirant lo Blanc'') is a chivalric romance written by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell, finished posthumously by his friend Martí Joan de Galba and published in the city of Valencia in 1490 as an ...
'' completed by
Martí Joan de Galba Martí Joan de Galba (; died 1490) was once considered to be the co-author of the famous Valencian epic '' Tirant lo Blanch'', which he worked on after the death of his friend, Joanot Martorell. But the nature of his contributions have been called i ...
from the work of the knight Joanot Martorell (d. c. 1468), written in Valencian and a pioneering example of the
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
in modern Europe. *1492: 16 January – Antonio de Nebrija publishes '' Gramática de la lengua castellana'', the first grammar text for Castilian Spanish, in Salamanca, which he introduces to the Catholic Monarchs,
Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...
and
Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
, newly restored to power in Andalusia, as "a tool of empire". *1494: 17 August –
Blaž Baromić Blaž Baromić (before 1450 in Vrbnik – after 1505 in Senj) was a Croatian printer, calligrapher, founder of the Senj printing press in 1494, the second oldest Croatian printing press. He is also known for his special typographic set known as '' ...
completes the first work of his printing press in Senj, Croatia, a glagolithic
missal A missal is a liturgical book containing instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the liturgical year. Versions differ across liturgical tradition, period, and purpose, with some missals intended to enable a pries ...
, the second edition of the ''Missale Romanum''. *1495: February–March – An edition of Constantine Lascaris's ''Erotemata'' in Greek with a parallel Latin translation (''Grammatica Graeca'') by
Johannes Crastonis Johannes Crastonis (Crastonus; Crastone) was an Italian renaissance humanist and scholar. Crastonus was probably born in Castel San Giovanni close to Piacenza. He was a member of the Carmelites. He studied in Constantinople but migrated to Modena ...
is the first book to be published by
Aldus Manutius Aldus Pius Manutius (; it, Aldo Pio Manuzio; 6 February 1515) was an Italian printer and humanist who founded the Aldine Press. Manutius devoted the later part of his life to publishing and disseminating rare texts. His interest in and preserv ...
, in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
, using typefaces cut by Francesco Griffo. *1495–1498 –
Aldus Manutius Aldus Pius Manutius (; it, Aldo Pio Manuzio; 6 February 1515) was an Italian printer and humanist who founded the Aldine Press. Manutius devoted the later part of his life to publishing and disseminating rare texts. His interest in and preserv ...
publishes the Aldine Press edition of Aristotle in Venice. *1496: February – Francesco Griffo cuts the first old-style serif (or humanist) typeface (known from the 20th century as Bembo) for the Aldine Press edition of
Pietro Bembo Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...
's narrative ''Petri Bembi de Aetna Angelum Chabrielem liber'' ("De Aetna", a description of a journey to
Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( it, Etna or ; scn, Muncibbeḍḍu or ; la, Aetna; grc, Αἴτνα and ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina a ...
) published in Venice, Aldus Manutius' first printing in the Latin alphabet and a work which includes early adoption of the semicolon (dated 1495 according to the ''
more veneto {{Short description, Calendar used in the Venetian republic until 1757 ''More veneto'' (Latin for 'according to the customs of Venice') is a designation of the peculiar calendar used in the Republic of Venice, resulting from the delayed adoption of ...
''). *1497 **7 February ( Shrove Tuesday) – Followers of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of "immoral" objects, including books, at the Bonfire of the Vanities in Florence, an episode repeatedly revisited in literature. **Possible date – First performance of the earliest known full-length secular play wholly in English, ''
Fulgens and Lucrece ''Fulgens and Lucrece'' is a late 15th-century Morality play, interlude by Henry Medwall. It is the earliest purely secular English play that survives.Bill Gilbert:Chapter 20: Literary Movements in the Sixteenth Century in ''Renaissance and Refor ...
'' by
Henry Medwall Henry Medwall (8 September 1462 – c.1501/2?) was the first known English vernacular dramatist. '' Fulgens and Lucrece'' (c.1497), whose heroine must choose between two suitors, is the earliest known secular English play. The other play of Medwa ...
, the first English vernacular playwright known by name, perhaps at
Lambeth Palace Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament, on the opposite ...
in London. *1499: Late – Contents of the library of the
Madrasah of Granada The Madrasa of Granada ( es, Madraza de Granada, also known as the Palacio de la Madraza or the Madrasa Yusufiyya, ) was a madrasa in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was founded in 1349 by the Nasrid monarch Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.Alliterative ''Morte Arthure'' **Shivaganaprasadi Mahadevaiah – ''
Shunyasampadane Shunyasampadane (Kannada: ಶೂನ್ಯಸಂಪಾದನೆ ''Śūnyasampādane'') is an anthology of poems in the Kannada language that includes the vachanas and dialogues of several Lingayat Lingayatism or Veera Saivism is a Hindu d ...
'' *c. 1400–1410 **
Nicholas Love Nicholas Love (1608–1682) was an English lawyer and one of the Regicides of King Charles I of England. Love was educated at Winchester College and Wadham College, Oxford; M.A., 1636; barrister, Lincoln's Inn, 1636. His father, also Nicholas ...
– '' The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ'' (translation and adaptation into Middle English of the ''
Meditations on the Life of Christ The ''Meditations on the Life of Christ'' ( la, Meditationes Vitae Christi or '; Italian ''Meditazione della vita di Cristo'') is a fourteenth-century devotional work, later translated into Middle English by Nicholas Love as ''The Mirror of the ...
'') *1402 **
Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (), born Cristina da Pizzano (September 1364 – c. 1430), was an Italian poet and court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French dukes. Christine de Pizan served as a court writer in medieval France ...
– ''Dit de la Rose'' *1402–1403 **
Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (), born Cristina da Pizzano (September 1364 – c. 1430), was an Italian poet and court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French dukes. Christine de Pizan served as a court writer in medieval France ...
– '' Le livre du chemin de long estude'' *1405 **
Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (), born Cristina da Pizzano (September 1364 – c. 1430), was an Italian poet and court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French dukes. Christine de Pizan served as a court writer in medieval France ...
***''L'Avision de Christine'' ***'' The Book of the City of Ladies'' (''Le livre de la Cité des dames'') ***'' The Treasure of the City of Ladies'' (''Le trésor de la Cité des dames''; also known as ''The Book of the Three Virtues'') *c. 1410 **Mahathera Bodhiramsi – ''
Cāmadevivaṃsa The Camadevivamsa ( th, ตำนานจามเทวีวงศ์, , literally, "Chronicle of the Lineage of Cāmadevi") is a Pali chronicle composed in the early 15th century by the Lanna Buddhist monk Mahathera Bodhiramsi ( th, พระ ...
'' ( th, ตำนานจามเทวีวงศ์) *1411 **
Thomas Occleve Thomas Hoccleve or Occleve (1368 or 1369–1426) was an English poet and clerk, who became a key figure in 15th-century Middle English literature. His ''Regement of Princes or De Regimine Principum'' is a homily on virtues and vices, written for ...
– '' The Regement of Princes'' *1413 ** Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York – ''
The Master of Game ''The Master of Game'' is a medieval manuscript, a hunting treatise, written by Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, between 1406 and 1413, of which 27 manuscripts survive. It is considered to be the oldest English-language book on hunting. ''Th ...
'' *1418 **Domenico Bandini of Arezzo – ''
Fons memorabilium universi ''Fons memorabilium universi'' ("Source of notable information about the universe") is an early encyclopedia, written in Latin by the Italian humanist Domenico Bandini of Arezzo (also given as Domenico di Bandino or Dominicus Bandinus, c. 1335 ...
'' *1420 ** John Lydgate''Siege of Thebes'' (poem) **Approximate date:
Andrew of Wyntoun Andrew Wyntoun, known as Andrew of Wyntoun (), was a Scottish poet, a canon and prior of Loch Leven on St Serf's Inch and, later, a canon of St. Andrews. Andrew Wyntoun is most famous for his completion of an eight-syllabled metre entitled, '' ...
– ''
Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland The ''Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland'' ("Original Chronicle of Scotland") is a history of Scotland from the beginning of the world until the accession of King James I. Attributed to Andrew of Wyntoun, a learned scholar of the time, it is one of t ...
'' *1423 **
Jordi de Sant Jordi Jordi de Sant Jordi (; late 1390s – c. 1424) was a Valencian poet and knight. Along with his contemporary Ausiàs March, Sant Jordi was among the earliest and most representative figures of the so-called Valencian Golden Age, one of the peak ...
– "Presoner" *1424 **Bhaskara – ''Jivandhara Charite'' *1425 **Sharafuddin Ali Yazdi – ''Zafar Nama'' (history of Timur) *1427 ** Thomas à Kempis – '' The Imitation of Christ (De Imitatione Christi)'' (approximate date of completion) *1429 ** Leone Battista Alberti – ''Amator'' ** Radoslav Gospels **(?) Kashefi – ''Anvār-e Soheylī'' ( fa, انوار سهیلی, "The Lights of Canopus"), a translation of the ''
Panchatantra The ''Panchatantra'' (IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, sa, पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.
'' *1430 **Kallumathada Prabhudeva – ''Ganabhasita Ratnamale'' *1434 **''Treatise on the Barbarian Kingdoms on the Western Oceans'' (China) **Approximate date: John Lydgate – ''The Life of St. Edmund, King and Martyr'' *1435 ** Leon Battista Alberti – ''Della Pittura'' *1436 **''The Marvels discovered by the boat bound for the Galaxy'' (China) *1438 **''The Buik of Alexander'' **'' Gilte Legende'', a translation into Middle English *1439 **Kalyanakirti – ''Jnanachandrabhyudaya'' *1440 ** Zhu Quan – ''
Cha Pu The ''Cha Pu'' () is a short work written in 1440 by Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, the 17th son of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty, and relates the methods of tea preparation and degustation. It is considered by some to be a milestone in C ...
'' (Tea Manual) **Santikirtimuni – ''Santinathacharite'' **Approximate date:
Geoffrey the Grammarian Geoffrey the Grammarian (floruit, fl. 1440) (in Latin: Galfridus Grammaticus) was an English medieval monk and linguist, grammarian who wrote several treatises. Geoffrey was originally from Norfolk, England. In the late 15th century, he published ...
(probable compiler) – '' Promptorium parvulorum'' *1444 **
Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...
– '' The Tale of Two Lovers'' *1447 ** Walter Bower – ''
Scotichronicon The ''Scotichronicon'' is a 15th-century chronicle by the Scottish historian Walter Bower. It is a continuation of historian-priest John of Fordun's earlier work '' Chronica Gentis Scotorum'' beginning with the founding of Ireland and thereby ...
'' (completed) *1448 **Vijayanna – ''Dvadasanuprekshe'' *1450 **
Reginald Pecock Reginald Pecock (or Peacock; c. 1395– c. 1461) was a Welsh prelate, scholastic, and writer. Life Pecock was probably born in Laugharne and was educated at Oriel College, Oxford. Having been ordained priest in 1421, Pecock secured a master ...
– ''Represser of over-much weeting
laming La Minh Commune ( km, ឃុំឡាមីញ) is a commune in Bar Kaev District in northeast Cambodia. It contains five villages and has a population of 2,622. In the 2007 commune council elections, all five seats went to members of the Cambod ...
of the Clergie'' **Approximate date: Ballads "
A Gest of Robyn Hode ''A Gest of Robyn Hode'' (also known as ''A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode'', and hereafter referred to as ''Gest'') is one of the earliest surviving texts of the Robin Hood tales. ''Gest'' (which meant tale or adventure) is a compilation of vari ...
" and "
Robin Hood and the Monk Robin Hood and the Monk is a Middle English ballad and one of the oldest surviving ballads of Robin Hood. Original work and later publications The work was preserved in Cambridge University manuscript Ff.5.48, albeit heavily damaged by wear. ...
" *1453 ** Antoine de la Sale – ''Petit Jehan de Saintre'' *1455 **
Padmanābha Padmanābha was a 15th-century Indian poet and historian. He has been hailed as the Yug Charan (Charan of the Era) for commemorating Kanhadade's struggle in his famous treatise "Kanhadade Prabandha", written in 1455. This work has been praised a ...
– ''
Kanhadade Prabandha ''Kānhaḍade Prabandha'' is a book by Indian poet Padmanābha written in 1455, in a western Apabhramsha dialect. The book tells the story of Raval Kanhadade (Kanhadadeva), the Chahamana ruler of Jalore. Textual history Padmanabha wrote ' ...
'' *Pre-1460 ** Ausiàs March – Poems **''Turpines Story'' (Middle English translation of the ''
Historia Caroli Magni ''Historia Caroli Magni'' (''History of the life of Charlemagne''), also known as ''Historia Karoli Magni et Rotholandi'' and sometimes as the ''Turpin Chronicle'' or the ''Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle'', is a 12th-century Latin forged chronicle of lege ...
'') *1461 ** François Villon – ''Grand Testament'' *1464 **''The Deeds of Sir Gillion de Trazegnies in the Middle East'' **'' A Short English Chronicle (Cronycullys of Englonde)'' *1467 **Cardinal Juan de Torquemada – ''Meditationes, seu Contemplationes devotissimae'' ("Meditations, or the Contemplations of the Most Devout"), the first book printed in Italy to include woodcut illustrations *1469/70 **
Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...
– '' The Decameron'' (completed 1353) *c. 1470–85 **
Pietru Caxaro Pietru "Peter" Caxaro (c. 14001485) was a Maltese philosopher and poet. He is so far Malta's first known philosopher, fragments of whose works are extant. His philosophical views and positions qualify him as an honourable adherent of the med ...
– ''
Il Cantilena ''Il-Kantilena'' is the oldest known literary text in the Maltese language. It dates from the 15th century (no later than 1485, the death of its author, and probably from the 1470s), but was not found until 1966 by historians Godfrey Wettinger an ...
'', oldest known
Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
text *1471 **
Marsilio Ficino Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of ...
(translator) – ''De potestate et sapientia Dei'', a translation from the '' Hermetica'' *1472 ** Dante Alighieri – '' Divine Comedy'' (written c.1308–21), first printed 11 April in
Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...
, Italy, by Johann Numeister and Evangelista Angelini da Trevi ** Johannes de Sacrobosco – '' De sphaera mundi'' (written c.1230), the first printed astronomical book ** Paul of Venice (died 1429) – ''Logica Parva'' **
Roberto Valturio Roberto Valturio (1405–1475) was an Italian engineer and writer born in Rimini. He was the author of the military treatise ''De Re militari'' (1472). The work consists of a preface, with a dedication to Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta; a list of ...
– ''De re militari'', the first book with technical illustrations **Approximate date: Thomas à Kempis (died 1471) – '' The Imitation of Christ (De Imitatione Christi)'' (first printing) *1472 or 1473 ** Johannes Tinctoris – ''Proportionale musices'' (Proportions in Music) ** Zainuddin – ''Rasul Bijay'' (Victory of the Messenger) in
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
*1473 **
Avicenna Ibn Sina ( fa, ابن سینا; 980 – June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna (), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic G ...
– '' The Canon of Medicine'' ** Richard de Bury – '' The Philobiblon'' (first printing; written 1345) **
Sir John Fortescue John Fortescue may refer to: * Sir John Fortescue (judge) (c. 1394–1479), English lawyer and judge, MP for Tavistock, Totnes, Plympton Erle and Wiltshire * Sir John Fortescue of Salden (1531/1533–1607), third Chancellor of the Exchequer of Engl ...
– '' The Governaunce of England'' (first published
1714 Events January–March * January 21 – After being tricked into deserting a battle against India's Mughal Empire by the rebel Sayyid brothers, Prince Azz-ud-din Mirza is blinded on orders of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar as punishment. * Feb ...
) **Approximate date: ''Missale Speciale'' (
Constance Constance may refer to: Places *Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English *Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada * Constance, Kentucky * Constance, Minnesota * Constance (Portugal) * Mount Constance, Washington State People * Consta ...
Missal A missal is a liturgical book containing instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the liturgical year. Versions differ across liturgical tradition, period, and purpose, with some missals intended to enable a pries ...
) *1474 **''Obres e trobes en lahors de la Verge María'', first literary book printed in Spain (40 poems in Catalan/Valencian, 4 in Spanish, 1 in Italian) *1475 **(or 1473–74?) – '' Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye'', the first book printed in English, by William Caxton, in his own translation, in Bruges *c. 1475? **''
The Squire of Low Degree ''The Squire of Low Degree'', also known as ''The Squyr of Lowe Degre'', ''The Sqyr of Lowe Degre'' or ''The Sqyr of Lowe Degree'', is an anonymous late Middle English or early Modern English verse romance. There is little doubt that it was inte ...
'' *1476 **
Caxton Caxton may refer to: Places * Caxton Street, Brisbane, Australia * Caxton, Cambridgeshire, a village in Cambridgeshire, UK ** Caxton Gibbet, a knoll near the village * Caxton Hall, a historic building in London, UK * Caxton Building, a historic ...
's first edition of
Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for ''The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He wa ...
's '' Canterbury Tales'' *1477 ** Earl Rivers (translator) – '' Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres'' (printed by William Caxton in Westminster) ** William Caxton (translation from the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
of Raoul Le Fèvre) – '' History of Jason'' (printed by Caxton) **''Bible in duytsche'' (Delft Bible) **'' The Travels of Marco Polo'' (first printing; written c.1299) **Approximate date: Blind Harry – '' The Wallace'' (''The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace'', Middle Scots poem) *1478 **'' Bíblia Valenciana'' (Valencian Bible), the first printed bible in Catalan/Valencian, translated by
Bonifaci Ferrer Boniface Ferrer (1350–1417) was a Carthusian monk, brother of Saint Vincent Ferrer, and translator of the first Bible into Valencian ( Valencian Bible 1488). His translation was the first translation into a Romance language (Catalan) since Peter ...
*1479 **
Rodolphus Agricola Rodolphus Agricola ( la, Rudolphus Agricola Phrisius; August 28, 1443, or February 17, 1444 – October 27, 1485) was a pre-Erasmian humanist of the Northern Low Countries, famous for his knowledge of Latin and Greek. He was an educator, musici ...
– ''De inventione dialectica'' *1480 ** Pierre Le Baud – ' (approximate date of completion) **
John of Capua John of Capua also known as Johannes de Capua and Giovanni da Capua (born earlier than 1250, died later than 1300) was an Italian Jewish convert to Christianity, and a translator. He translated Rabbi Joel's Hebrew version of ''Kalilah wa-Dimnah'' ...
– ''Directorium Humanae Vitae'', a translation of the ''
Panchatantra The ''Panchatantra'' (IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, sa, पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.
'' *1481 **''The boke intituled Eracles, and also of Godefrey of Boloyne the whiche speketh of the conquest of the holy londe of Iherusalem'', a translation by William Caxton from ''
Estoire d'Eracles The ''Estoire d'Eracles'' ("History of Heraclius") is an anonymous Old French translation and continuation of the Latin ''History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea'' by William of Tyre. It begins with recapture of Jerusalem by the Roman emperor Heracl ...
'', the French version of William of Tyre's ''Historia'' **''Mirrour of the Worlde'', a translation of 1480 by William Caxton from Vincent of Beauvais's ''
Speculum Maius ''Speculum maius'' (greater Mirror) was a major encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, written by Vincent de Beauvais in the 13th century. It was a great compendium of all knowledge of the time. The work seems to have consisted of three parts: the ''Spe ...
'', the first book printed in England to include woodcut illustrations **'' The Historie of Reynart the Foxe'' (first English translation) **Approximate date: '
Pseudo-Apuleius 210px, Manuscript Kassel; 9th century, Mandragora Pseudo-Apuleius is the name given in modern scholarship to the author of a 4th-century herbal known as ''Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarius'' or ''Herbarium Apuleii Platonici''. The author of the text appare ...
' – ''Herbarium Apuleii Platonici'', the first printed illustrated herbal *1482 **
Mosen Diego de Valera Mosen is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Hochdorf (district), Hochdorf in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Lucerne (canton), Lucerne in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009 it became part of the municipality ...
– ''Crónica abreviada de España'' ("Crónica Valeriana") ** Euclid – ''
Elements Element or elements may refer to: Science * Chemical element, a pure substance of one type of atom * Heating element, a device that generates heat by electrical resistance * Orbital elements, parameters required to identify a specific orbit of ...
'' (in Latin) **Hans Tucher der Ältere – ''Beschreibung der Reyß ins Heylig Land'' *1483 **''
The Book of the Knight of the Tower ''The Book of the Knight of the Tower'' (full French title: ''Livre pour l'enseignement de ses filles du Chevalier de La Tour Landry'') is a book commenced by Geoffroy IV de la Tour Landry in 1371, and which he continued writing at least until 1 ...
'', a translation by William Caxton **The '' Golden Legend'', a translation by William Caxton; as the most printed
incunable In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pr ...
across Europe, this reaches its 9th edition in English by 1527 **
Giacomo Filippo Foresti Giacomo Filippo Foresti da Bergamo (1434–1520) was an Augustinian monk, known as the author of several significant early printed works. He was a chronicler and Biblical scholar. His ''Supplementum chronicarum'' (first printed at Venice, 1483) ...
– ''Supplementum chronicarum'' **''Das Der Buch Beyspiele'', a translation of the ''
Panchatantra The ''Panchatantra'' (IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, sa, पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story.
'' ** Theophrastus – ''
Historia Plantarum Historia may refer to: * Historia, the local version of the History channel in Spain and Portugal * Historia (TV channel), a Canadian French language specialty channel * Historia (newspaper), a French monthly newspaper devoted to History topics * ...
'' (first Latin version of ''Περὶ φυτῶν ἱστορία'' translated by Theodore Gaza) *1484 **'' Aesop's Fables'', a translation (from French) by William Caxton ** Plato – ''Opera Platonis'' (complete works), a translation by
Marsilio Ficino Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of ...
*1485 ** Leon Battista Alberti (died 1472) – '' De Re Aedificatoria'' (written 1443–52), the first printed work on architecture ** Joseph Albo – ''Sefer ha-Ikkarim'' (written before 1444) **Bommarasa of Terakanambi – ''Sanatkumara Charite'' **Sir Thomas Malory – ''
Le Morte d'Arthur ' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
'' *1486 **
Bernhard von Breydenbach Bernhard von Breidenbach (also ''Breydenbach'') (ca. 1440 – 1497) was a politician in the Electorate of Mainz. He wrote a travel report, ''Peregrinatio in terram sanctam'' (1486), from his travels to the Holy Land. In Jerusalem he met Felix ...
– ''Peregrinatio in Terram Sanctam'', with illustrations taken from life by the printer Erhard Reuwich **'' The Boke of Seynt Albans'', with a contribution attributed to Juliana Berners ** Giovanni Pico della Mirandola – '' De hominis dignitate'' *1487 **
Niccolò da Correggio Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The fe ...
– ''Fabula di Cefalo'' ** Heinrich Kramer with James Sprenger – '' Malleus Maleficarum'', a witch-hunting manual *1489 **
Marsilio Ficino Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of ...
– '' De vita libri tres'' (Three Books on Life) *1490 ** John Ireland – ''The Meroure of Wyssdome'' ** Joanot Martorell and
Martí Joan de Galba Martí Joan de Galba (; died 1490) was once considered to be the co-author of the famous Valencian epic '' Tirant lo Blanch'', which he worked on after the death of his friend, Joanot Martorell. But the nature of his contributions have been called i ...
– ''
Tirant lo Blanch ''Tirant lo Blanch'' ( ; modern spelling: ''Tirant lo Blanc'') is a chivalric romance written by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell, finished posthumously by his friend Martí Joan de Galba and published in the city of Valencia in 1490 as an ...
'' *c. 1490s **
Jacomijne Costers Jacomijne Costers (c. 1462 – 1503) was a nun and author whose vision of the afterlife, shown during a near-death experience, was written down in ''Visioen en exempel'' ("Vision and Exemplum"). Biography Costers lived in the Facons Monastery in ...
– ''Visioen en exempel'' *1491 **
Johannes de Ketham Johannes de Ketham was a German physician living in Italy at the end of the fifteenth century. Little is known about him, but he has been identified by many as a physician practicing in Vienna in 1460 named Johannes von Kirchheim. Ketham is know ...
(ed.) – ''
Fasciculus Medicinae ''Fasciculus Medicinae'' is a "bundle" of six independent and quite different medieval medical treatises. The collection, which existed only in two manuscripts (handwritten copies), was first printed in 1491 in Latin and came out in numerous edi ...
'' (first printed book to contain anatomical illustrations) *1492 **
John of Gaddesden John of Gaddesden (1280–1361) was a medieval English physician. He wrote a treatise on medicine titled ''Rosa Medicinae'' (''The Rose of Medicine''), also called Rosa Anglica ("The English Rose"), between 1304 and 1317, considered to be the firs ...
– ''Rosa Medicinæ'' (first printing; written 1307) *1493 **
Giuliano Dati Giuliano Dati (1445-1524) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of San Leone from 1518 to 1524. Biography Giuliano Dati was born in 1445. On 26 Feb 1518, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Leo X as Bishop of San Leone. He ...
– ''Lettera delle isole novamente trovata'', a translation into verse of a letter from Christopher Columbus to
Ferdinand of Spain Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
, regarding Columbus' first exploratory voyage across the Atlantic in 1492 **15 June:
Hartmann Schedel Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514) was a German historian, physician, humanist, and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press. He was born and died in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor. ...
– ''
Nuremberg Chronicle The ''Nuremberg Chronicle'' is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase. Subjects include human history in relation to the Bible, illustrated mythological creatures, ...
'' **''The Seven Sages of Rome'', midland English version of the '' Seven Wise Masters'' story cycle (printed by Richard Pynson) *1494 **
Sebastian Brant Sebastian Brant (also Brandt) (1458 – 10 May 1521) was a German humanist and satirist. He is best known for his satire '' Das Narrenschiff'' (''The Ship of Fools''). Biography Brant was born in Strasbourg to an innkeeper but eventually enter ...
– '' Ship of Fools (Daß Narrenschyff)'' **Fra
Luca Pacioli Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli (sometimes ''Paccioli'' or ''Paciolo''; 1447 – 19 June 1517) was an Italian mathematician, Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and an early contributor to the field now known as accounting ...
– ''
Summa de arithmetica ' (''Summary of arithmetic, geometry, proportions and proportionality'') is a book on mathematics written by Luca Pacioli and first published in 1494. It contains a comprehensive summary of Renaissance mathematics, including practical arithmeti ...
'' *1496 ** Isaac Abrabanel – ''Ma'yene ha-Yeshu'ah'' ** Juan del Encina – ''Cancionero'' *1497 **
Mīr-Khvānd Muhammad ibn Khvandshah ibn Mahmud, more commonly known as Mirkhvand ( fa, میرخواند, also transliterated as Mirkhwand; 1433/34 – 1498), was a Persian historian active during the reign of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara (). He ...
– '' Rawżat aṣ-ṣafāʾ'' *1497–1504 **
Pietro Bembo Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...
– '' Gli Asolani'' (three volumes on courtly love, first printed 1505) *1498 ** Annio da Viterbo – ''Commentaria super opera diversorum auctorum de antiquitatibus loquentium'' ("Antiquities", forgeries) ** Polydore Vergil – ''Adagia'' *1499 ** Francesco Colonna (attrib.) – '' Hypnerotomachia Poliphili'' **
Pierre Desrey Pierre Desrey de Troyes () was a French chronicler, historian, genealogist and translator. Relatively little is known of his life, but his work is of value to historians. Life and work Desrey was born around 1450 and died around 1514. He was a n ...
– ''Genealogie de Godefroi de Buillon'' **Thomas of Erfurt (mistakenly ascribed to Duns Scotus) – ''De Modis Significandi'' (first printing; written in early 14th century) **Niccolò Machiavelli – ''Discorso sopra le cose di Pisa'' **Fernando de Rojas – ''Comedia de Calisto y Melibea'', better known as ''La Celestina'' ** Polydore Vergil – ''De inventoribus rerum'' **Jehan Lagadec (ed.) – ''Catholicon'', the first French dictionary (trilingual with Breton language, Breton and Latin; compiled in 1464) *Undated **Krittibas Ojha (translator, died 1461) – ''Krittivasi Ramayan'' **Kim Si-seup (1435–93) – ''Geumo Sinhwa'' (金鰲新話, "Tales of Namsan (Gyeongju), Mount Geumo" or ''New stories of the Golden Turtle'') **At least two of the Middle English versions of ''Ipomadon'' **Voynich manuscript (undeciphered, carbon dated to early 15th century)


Drama

*c.1463–1475 **Probable date of composition of the "N-Town Plays" in The Midlands of England *1470 **Approximate date of composition of ''
Elckerlijc ''Elckerlijc'' (also known as ''Elckerlyc'') is a morality play from the Low Countries which was written in Dutch somewhere around the year 1470. It was first printed in 1495. The play was extremely successful and may have been the original sou ...
'', attributed to Peter van Diest (first printed 1495) **Probable date of composition of ''Mankind (play), Mankind'' *1492 ** Juan del Encina – ''Triunfo de la fama'' *1493 **Ludovico Ariosto – ' *c.1497 **
Henry Medwall Henry Medwall (8 September 1462 – c.1501/2?) was the first known English vernacular dramatist. '' Fulgens and Lucrece'' (c.1497), whose heroine must choose between two suitors, is the earliest known secular English play. The other play of Medwa ...
– ''
Fulgens and Lucrece ''Fulgens and Lucrece'' is a late 15th-century Morality play, interlude by Henry Medwall. It is the earliest purely secular English play that survives.Bill Gilbert:Chapter 20: Literary Movements in the Sixteenth Century in ''Renaissance and Refor ...
'' *Approximate date of composition **''The Castle of Perseverance'' **''The Somonyng of Everyman''


Births

*Early 15th c. – Henry Lovelich, English poet and translator from London *1405: 18 October – Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, Italian erotic poet and novelist, later Pope Pius II (died 1464) *1406 – Matteo Palmieri, Florentine humanist and historian (died 1475) *1413 – Giosafat Barbaro, Venetian travel writer (died 1494) *c. 1426 – Bhalan, Indian Gujarati-language poet (died c. 1500) *1432 – Ōta Dōkan (太田 道灌, Ōta Sukenaga), Japanese samurai warrior-poet and Buddhist monk (died 1486) *1434: 29 August – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian/Croatian poet and bishop writing in Latin (died 1472) *c. 1435 – Johannes Tinctoris (Jehan le Teinturier), Low Countries' writer on music and musician (died 1511 in literature, 1511) *1441: 9 February – Ali-Shir Nava'i, Chagatai language, Chagatai Turkic languages, Turkic-language Timurid poet and scholar (died 1501 in literature, 1501) *c. 1441 – Felix Fabri (Felix Faber), Swiss Dominican theologian and travel writer (died 1502 in literature, 1502) *1449 –
Aldus Manutius Aldus Pius Manutius (; it, Aldo Pio Manuzio; 6 February 1515) was an Italian printer and humanist who founded the Aldine Press. Manutius devoted the later part of his life to publishing and disseminating rare texts. His interest in and preserv ...
, Italian publisher (died 1515) *c. 1451 – Richard Methley, English Dominican writer and translator (died 1527 or 1528) *1453 – Ermolao Barbaro, Italian scholar (died 1493) *c. 1460 – John Skelton (poet), John Skelton, English poet (died 1529 in literature, 1529) *1462: 8 September –
Henry Medwall Henry Medwall (8 September 1462 – c.1501/2?) was the first known English vernacular dramatist. '' Fulgens and Lucrece'' (c.1497), whose heroine must choose between two suitors, is the earliest known secular English play. The other play of Medwa ...
, English playwright and ecclesiastical lawyer (died c. 1501/2?) *1465 – Yamazaki Sōkan (山崎宗鑑, Shina Norishige), Japanese poet (died 1553 in literature, 1553) *1470: 20 May –
Pietro Bembo Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...
, Venetian-born scholar, poet and cardinal (died 1547 in literature, 1547) *c. 1473 – Jean Lemaire de Belges, Walloon French poet and historian (died c. 1525) *1475 – Ludovico Vicentino degli Arrighi, Italian calligrapher and type designer (died 1527 in literature, 1527) *1483: 6 March – Francesco Guicciardini, Italian historian and statesman *1483: 19 April – Paolo Giovio, Italian contemporary historian, bishop and scientist (died 1552 in literature, 1552) *1485 – Hanibal Lucić, Croatian poet and playwright (died 1553 in literature, 1553) *1486: 28 July – Pieter Gillis, Flemish humanist, printer and Antwerp city official (died 1533 in literature, 1533) *1488: c. 24 August – Ferdinand Columbus, Spanish bibliophile (died 1539 in literature, 1539) *1488: (''estimated'') – Otto Brunfels, German botanist and theologian (died 1534 in literature, 1534) *1490: Gáspár Heltai (Kaspar Helth), Transylvanian writer in German (died 1574 in literature, 1574) *1494: November (''probable'') – François Rabelais, French writer (died 1553 in literature, 1553) *1496: 23 November – Clément Marot, French poet (died 1544 in literature, 1544) *1497 – Edward Hall, English historian, politician and lawyer (died 1547 in literature, 1547)


Deaths

*1400 – Jan of Jenštejn, archbishop of Prague, writer, composer and poet (born 1348) *1406: 19 March – Ibn Khaldun, North African historiographer and philosopher (born 1332) *c. 1416 – Julian of Norwich, English religious writer and mystic (born c. 1342) *1426 – Thomas Hoccleve, English poet and clerk (born c. 1368) *c. 1426 – John Audelay, English poet and priest (year of birth unknown) *c. 1430 –
Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (), born Cristina da Pizzano (September 1364 – c. 1430), was an Italian poet and court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French dukes. Christine de Pizan served as a court writer in medieval France ...
, French poet and author of conduct books (born 1364) *c. 1440 – Margery Kempe, English mystic and autobiographer (born c. 1373) *c. 1443 – Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥 元清), Japanese Noh actor and playwright (born c. 1363) *1448 – Zhu Quan (朱, 權), Prince of Ning, Chinese military commander, feudal lord, historian and playwright (born 1378) *c. 1451 – John Lydgate, English poet and monk (born c. 1370) *1454 – Francesco Barbaro (politician), Francesco Barbaro, Italian humanist and politician (born 1390) *1458 – Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, Castilian politician and poet (born 1398) *1459 - Ausiàs March, Valencian poet and knight (born 1400) *1464: **14 August – Pope Pius II **John Capgrave, English historian and scholastic theologian (born 1393) *1468 – Joanot Martorell, Valencian novelist and knight (born 1413) *1471 – Sir Thomas Malory, presumed English writer (year of birth unknown) *1472: 27 March – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian/Croatian poet and bishop writing in Latin (born 1434) *1475 – Matteo Palmieri, Florentine historian and humanist (born 1406) *c. 1483 – Richard Holland, Scottish cleric and poet *1486 – Margareta Clausdotter, Swedish chronicler and nun *c. 1490 – Lewys Glyn Cothi, Welsh poet (born 1420) *1492 – Jami, Persian poet and scholar (born 1414) *1493 – Ermolao Barbaro, Italian scholar (born 1453) *1494 – Giosafat Barbaro, Italian travel writer, diplomat and explorer (born 1413) *1496: 28 August – Kanutus Johannis, Swedish Franciscan friar, writer and book collector


See also

*15th century in poetry * 14th century in literature * 16th century in literature * List of years in literature


References

{{Authority control 15th-century literature, 15th-century books, Renaissance literature History of literature