1374

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political events

John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, returns from the war in France and becomes leader of the state, using anticlerical feeling and social unrest to pursue his ambitions to succeed his father, Edward III, who since 1369 has been strongly influenced by his mistress Alice Perrers, originally a lady in waiting to the late queen consort Philippa.

London retains Oxford don John Wycliffe, 54, to conduct negotiations with Pope Gregory XI.

Castile makes peace with Aragon and Portugal at Imazan June 6 and continues to lead in the reconquest of Spain from the Muslims.

Milan's tyrant Bernabo Visconti obtains favorable peace terms June 6 from Pope Gregory XI, having bribed some of the pope's councillors (see 1373). Gregory has appointed French legates and governors of ecclesiastical provinces in Italy, the Frenchmen do not understand the Italians, they are widely hated, and Bernabo tries to exploit the situation by stirring up insurrections in the pontifical territories; Florence's despots pursue a similar policy (see 1375).

Sweden's former king Magnus II Eriksson dies in Sweden December 1 at age 58, having been held prisoner until 3 years ago.

medicine

Venice institutes plague precautions, appointing three officials to inspect vessels wishing to enter ports of the Venetian Republic and exclude any found to be infected with the Black Death (see waiting period, 1403).

religion

A dancing mania sweeps the Rhenish city of Aix-la-Chapelle in July and sends hordes of men and women into a pathological frenzy of dancing in the streets. The dancing continues for hours until the crowds are too exhausted or too injured to continue; the phenomenon will never be fully explained.

Theologian-reformer Jan Milíc (Z Kromeríze) dies at Avignon June 29 at age 69 (approximate), having become ill last year while visiting Pope Gregory XI. He had been accused of heresy once again, this time for supporting vernacular preaching and a vernacular Bible, but was absolved of all charges and invited by the pope to preach to the college of cardinals (see Jan Hus, 1408).

literature

The poet-scholar Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) dies at Arquà July 18, just 2 days short of his 70th birthday.

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