1313
Giovanni Boccaccio born near Florence
The illegitimate son of a Florentine merchant arrived in this world, later claimed fatherhood was Parisian. Raised in Naples among Angevin courtiers and the city's thriving literary culture, he would write the Decameron, a hundred tales told by young Florentines fleeing the plague to a country villa. Prose fiction, racy and humane, found its European charter in Boccaccio.
Özbeg Khan converts the Golden Horde to Islam
The young khan of the western Mongol steppe declared Islam the state religion, executing Mongol princes who refused to convert. Under Özbeg the Horde reached its zenith, taxing Russian princes from Sarai on the Volga, trading with Genoa and Cairo, and turning the steppe into a Muslim corridor between Europe and China.
Shinran's Jodo Shinshu spreads in Japan
Decades after Shinran's death, his radical doctrine of salvation by pure faith in Amida Buddha had taken root among farmers and fishermen across the Hokuriku provinces. True Pure Land Buddhism would become Japan's largest sect, with married priests inheriting temples, a populist streak unmatched elsewhere in East Asian Buddhism, and congregations that sometimes defied feudal lords in the name of spiritual equality.
Henry VII dies at Buonconvento
The Luxembourg emperor, making a final attempt to pacify Ghibelline Italy, succumbed to malaria near Siena. Dante's dream of imperial deliverance died with him, and the poet would never find another political savior. Italy fractured once more into tyrants and communes. Henry's body was carried back to Pisa and interred with stately anguish.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1313?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1313. The most significant is Giovanni Boccaccio born near Florence: The illegitimate son of a Florentine merchant arrived in this world, later claimed fatherhood was Parisian.
What era was 1313 part of?
1313 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1313?
The curated events from 1313 span Europe, Central Asia and East Asia.