1179
Death of Hildegard of Bingen
The German abbess, visionary, composer, and herbalist died at eighty-one in her Rhineland convent. She had corresponded with emperors and popes, written the earliest known morality play, and produced a body of monophonic music that would be rediscovered and celebrated eight centuries later. Her scientific writings on natural history and medicine, drawing on both observation and mystical revelation, were unmatched by any woman of her era.
Third Lateran Council
Alexander III convened three hundred bishops in Rome to tidy up after the papal schism. The council required a two-thirds majority for papal elections - a rule still in force - and condemned the Cathars and Waldensians, issuing the first formal Latin church definition of public heresy. The council also forbade Jews and Muslims from keeping Christian servants, an early step in the legal segregation that would intensify over the coming century.
Teaching chairs formalized at Oxford
Oxford masters began giving public lectures on theology, arts, and canon law in the town's scattered schools. The masters organized a loose guild modeled on the one at Paris, which had done the same. The earliest of the English universities was coming into recognizable form. The presence of a concentration of scholars attracted students from across England and Ireland, creating a critical mass of intellectual activity that would soon rival Paris itself.
Alfonso VIII of Castile reaches majority
The child-king of Castile, having survived a decade of Lara family regency, began ruling in his own name at fourteen. He would spend the next forty-five years as the major Christian opponent of the Almohads and would oversee the great Christian revival that culminated at Las Navas de Tolosa. His marriage to Eleanor of England, daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, bound Castile to the Plantagenet diplomatic network.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1179?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1179. The most significant is Death of Hildegard of Bingen: The German abbess, visionary, composer, and herbalist died at eighty-one in her Rhineland convent.
What era was 1179 part of?
1179 falls within the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). Crusades, cathedrals, and the slow waking of Europe.
Which regions saw notable events in 1179?
The curated events from 1179 span Europe.