1373
Catherine of Siena begins her public mission
The young Dominican tertiary, illiterate but visionary, began dictating letters to popes and princes urging reform of the Church and a return of the papacy to Rome. Her correspondents included cardinals, queens, and condottieri. Within five years she would walk to Avignon herself and bend the will of Gregory XI to repatriate the curia.
Gajah Mada dies, Majapahit reaches zenith
The legendary mahapatih of Majapahit, architect of the Palapa oath to unite the archipelago, died at the peak of his court's power. Hayam Wuruk reigned alone over an empire stretching from Sumatra to eastern Indonesia. Court poetry in the Nagarakertagama, composed by the poet Prapanca, praised the kingdom as the center of the world.
Ming dynasty fortifies the northern frontier
Hongwu ordered the reconstruction and extension of border walls and garrison towns along the steppe frontier, resettling hundreds of thousands of soldiers as military farmers. The system of walled passes and beacon towers foreshadowed the great Ming renovation of the Long Wall that later dynasties would call the Great Wall of China.
Anglo-Portuguese alliance signed at Westminster
Edward III's envoys and the Portuguese embassy signed a treaty of perpetual friendship between the two crowns. It promised mutual aid against any enemy and was reaffirmed several times across the centuries, most notably during the Napoleonic Wars and the World Wars. It remains, technically, the oldest active diplomatic alliance in the world today.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1373?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1373. The most significant is Catherine of Siena begins her public mission: The young Dominican tertiary, illiterate but visionary, began dictating letters to popes and princes urging reform of the Church and a return of the papacy…
What era was 1373 part of?
1373 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1373?
The curated events from 1373 span Europe, Southeast Asia and East Asia.