The Middle Ages and Its Periods
The Middle Ages, or Letteratura medievale italiana, is divided into two main periods: the Alto e Basso Medioevo schema. The Early Middle Ages AltoMedioevo lasted from 476 AD to 1000 AD, while the Late Middle Ages BassoMedioevo spanned from 1000 AD to 1492 AD. This period was viewed differently by various historical movements, with Enlightenment thinkers considering it a negative era of regression, while Romantics appreciated it for the emphasis on emotions and sentiments.
Definition: The Middle Ages, or Medieval period, refers to the historical era between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance or the Age of Discovery.
Medieval civilization sought to strike a balance between various aspects of life, including reason and faith God, body and soul, heaven and earth, and work and God. This period saw significant political and social changes, including the end of the Western Roman Empire and the subsequent barbarian invasions.
Highlight: The Early Middle Ages witnessed the creation of the Holy Roman Empire by Charlemagne, who also developed the feudal system.
The feudal system was characterized by a closed society where land was controlled by feudal lords and passed down to their heirs. This system allowed for self-sufficiency within each feudal domain, with limited trade between different areas.
Vocabulary: Feudal system - A social and political structure where nobles held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles.
During this period, power was contested between the Pope spiritualpower and the Emperor temporalpower, which together formed the universal power. The economic situation remained difficult until around the year 1000, after which a renaissance occurred.