1320
Dante completes Paradiso
In Ravenna, sheltered by Guido Novello da Polenta, Dante finished the last canticle of his hundred-canto poem: a voyage through crystal spheres toward the still point where love moves the sun and the other stars. The final lines achieved a luminous serenity unlike anything else in medieval literature. He would live only one more year to deliver the final cantos.
Mehmed Çelebi builds the Green Mosque at Bursa
Early Ottoman Bursa began receiving monumental architecture of a distinctive green tile revetment style, foreshadowing the masterpieces of Iznik tilework that would later adorn Istanbul's greatest mosques. Skilled Persian and Seljuk artisans brought their craft traditions to the young beylik, decorating prayer halls with geometric precision. Ottoman urbanism was already displaying the synthesis of Seljuk, Byzantine, and Persian ideas that would become its hallmark.
Declaration of Arbroath sent to the pope
Scottish nobles dictated a letter to John XXII at Avignon: for as long as a hundred of them remained alive, they would never submit to English rule. 'It is not for glory, riches, or honours that we fight, but for freedom alone.' The declaration bore the seals of thirty-nine Scottish magnates. The pope took notice.
Shepherds' Crusade ravages southern France
A strange children's movement sprang up in Normandy and rolled south: adolescents, beggars, ex-soldiers, convinced God wanted them in the Holy Land. They reached Aquitaine, massacred Jewish communities in Toulouse and Montclus, attacked royal officials, and were eventually dispersed by royal troops. Thousands died without seeing a Mediterranean shore, let alone Jerusalem.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1320?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1320. The most significant is Dante completes Paradiso: In Ravenna, sheltered by Guido Novello da Polenta, Dante finished the last canticle of his hundred-canto poem: a voyage through crystal spheres…
What era was 1320 part of?
1320 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1320?
The curated events from 1320 span Europe and Middle East.