1423

1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 1426 1427 1428 1429 1430

political events

Venice elects Francesco Foscari, 50, as its doge. A member of a prominent local family who served as Council of Ten leader from 1405 to 1413, he will be doge for 34 years. Foscari is inaugurated with costly ceremonies as the city-state glories in wealth and prosperity; a jeweled Corno is placed on the head of the new dogaressa Marina Nani-Foscari. Venice buys Thessalonika from Constantinople under terms of an agreement with the Byzantine emperor Manuel II to keep the Ottoman Turks from taking that city (but see 1430).

Aragon's Alfonso V returns from Naples to seek Catalonian reinforcements for an invasion of Sicily (see 1421). He is delayed by events in Castile, where his brothers Enrico and Juan are engaged in what has come close to civil war (see 1432).

Scottish leaders sign a treaty at York in September undertaking to pay 60,000 marks for the "maintenance in England" of their uncrowned king James I, now 29, and agree to the marriage of James to Jane, daughter of John Beaufort, earl of Somerset.

The Mongol chief Aruqtai in Central Asia proclaims himself great khan of the Mongols and leads his Alan (As) tribesmen on devastating raids into North China. He has joined with the Oyrat Mongols headed by Mahamu to defeat the Mongol chief Ugechi, but Mahamu's son will soon rebel against Aruqtai.

education

Mantua's Gonzaga family asks humanist University of Padua teacher Vittorino da Feltre, 45, to come to Mantua as tutor to their children. He agrees on condition that he be allowed to set up a school apart from the court. He calls the school "The House of Joy" ("La Giocosa"); its curriculum is based on Latin and Greek language and literature plus arithmetic, geometry, music, games, and physical exercises; Vittorino uses no corporal punishment; and in addition to the Gonzagas his 60-odd pupils include boys of other noble families and poor boys selected on the basis of their ability.

art

Painting: The Adoration of the Magi by Italian painter Gentile da Fabriano (Gentile di Niccolo di Giovanni Massi), 53, who settled last year at Florence after having worked at Venice.

Sculpture: St. Louis by Donatello.

food and drink

Frenchmen use carving forks, but individual diners will not use forks for centuries to come (see Coryate, 1611).

1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 1426 1427 1428 1429 1430

Tools

Conrad Mendel publishes between 1423 and 1429 a book describing late medieval crafts and depicting 355 craftsmen; the work is known as the Mendel Book. See also 1296 Materials; 1499 Materials.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)