The Middle Ages of European history (adjectivial form medieval or mediæval) is a period of international history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus. It is commonly dated from the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and contrasted with a later Early Modern Period; the time during w...
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The Middle Ages of European history (adjectivial form medieval or mediæval) is a period of international history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus. It is commonly dated from the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and contrasted with a later Early Modern Period; the time during which the Reformation and the rise of humanism in the Italian Renaissance unfolded are generally associated with the transition out of the Middle Ages, with European overseas expansion as a succeeding process, but such dates are approximate and based upon nuanced arguments. "Periodization issues" are discussed in later section of this article.
The Middle Ages included the first sustained urbanization of northern and western Europe. Many modern European countries owe their origins to events and trends in the Middle Ages; present European...
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