Transcript Diapositiva 1

The Middle Ages in England are
often called the Dark Ages,but they
were actually an extraordinary time of
energy.
They were a period of massive
social changes, rising nationalism,
international conflicts,and terrible
natural disasters...
The beginning and the ending
In Britain, The Middle
Ages started around 1066
AD with William the
Conqueror's invasion of
England
They imposed the French language
They introduced the feudal system and
Chivalry.
They also brought
their literary tradition
of the metrical
Romances ( Chansons
de Geste)
The English Feudal World
William the Conqueror deprived the
English owners of their land and
distributed it to his Norman lords.
Norman castles and manors were
built everywhere.
They were shared out among Norman
barons and bishops who replaced
English nobles.
The territory was divided into counties,
with a sheriff responsible for each.
A
General
Overview
of
Feudalism
It was a system of rights and duties
based on the holding of the land.
The central idea was that “all land
was owned by the king but it was held
by others, called vassals in return for
services and goods.
In the 11th century, England
was transformed into a Feudal
society, based on a strictly
hierarchical pyramidal system
where social classes are
subordinated to others. At each
level of this social structure a
man had to promise loyalty and
service to his superior, in return
for protection.
This social class
was divided into
three subclasses:
the freemen,the cottagers and the villeins
They, in their turn, had to swear
. to the king in a cerimony
loyalty
called Homage.
This promise was made with the
King sitting on his chair and the
vassal kneeling before him,his hands
between those of his lord
The Knight had to…
fear God and maintain His Church
serve the lord in valour and faith
protect the weak and defenceless
give succour to widows and orphans
live by honour and for glory
fight for the welfare of all
respect the honour of women.
The Romance was the most popular genre of
the Middle Ages.
It deals with a series of adventures of King
Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
One of its most interesting
features is that of courtly love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cgmvg5tqibo
The Church in the Middle Ages
Conflict between Church and State
became inevitable and led to the
murder of the archibishop of
Canterbury Thomas Becket in
1170.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO1nX1nf820&feature=player_detailpagepeaceful
In the 13th century Feudalism began its decline, because the
nobles acted as a class and not as vassals.
They were not willing to fight long for the King, who had to
pay soldiers who would fight for him.
They wanted to assert their rights.
So the nobles forced King John
to sign Magna Carta in 1215
and started to act in co-operation
with the merchant class of the
towns.
This document set limits on
royal powers.
It was signed in 1215 at
Runnymede by King
John under the pressure of
rebels.
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/timeline/accessvers/index.html
Produced by:
Francesco Fotino
Alessia Gentile
Mariano Macrito
Simone Sacco
Dominique Sicilia 3° a