1385
Aljubarrota: Portugal saves itself from Castile
John of Aviz, with English longbowmen and Portuguese spearmen, met the Castilian invasion on a ridge between Lisbon and Coimbra. The Castilian cavalry, charging uphill into entrenched archers, was destroyed in a battle lasting less than an hour. John was acclaimed king. Portugal kept its independence and would soon launch its Atlantic exploration under his sons.
Wycliffe Bible circulates in Lollard hands
A full English translation of the Vulgate, prepared by Wycliffe's Oxford circle and possibly by Nicholas of Hereford, began to circulate in manuscript among sympathetic gentry and priests. Owning a copy would soon become a capital offense under the Constitutions of Oxford. Several hundred copies survive despite the Lancastrian burnings of the next century.
Heidelberg University founded
Rupert I, Elector Palatine, persuaded the Roman pope Urban VI to let him establish a studium generale in his Rhineland city. Heidelberg would become the German empire's oldest university and a center for both early humanism and, much later, Protestant theology. Its first rector was a Sorbonne master who imported Parisian methods of disputation.
Wenzel IV arrested by Bohemian nobles
The inept Luxembourg king of Bohemia was briefly detained by his own magnates, who complained of his drinking, neglect of government, and favoritism toward a foreign wife. He was released but the episode presaged a pattern of baronial rebellions that would weaken the Bohemian crown for the remainder of his reign.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1385?
Saeculum lists 4 curated events from 1385. The most significant is Aljubarrota: Portugal saves itself from Castile: John of Aviz, with English longbowmen and Portuguese spearmen, met the Castilian invasion on a ridge between Lisbon and Coimbra.
What era was 1385 part of?
1385 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1385?
The curated events from 1385 span Europe.