1478
Spanish Inquisition Established
A papal bull at Isabella and Ferdinand's urging authorized a new ecclesiastical court under royal control to investigate conversos suspected of Judaizing.
Pazzi Conspiracy
During High Mass in Florence's cathedral, assassins hired by the Pazzi family and Pope Sixtus IV stabbed Giuliano de Medici to death at the altar.
Botticelli Paints Primavera
In a Medici villa workroom, Sandro Botticelli completed a vast allegory of Venus, Mercury, the Three Graces, and Flora scattering roses across a spring meadow.
Botticelli Paints Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli produced his image of Venus standing on a scallop shell, blown ashore by the west wind, her hair a cascade of gold.
Giuliano de Medici Murdered at Mass
The younger Medici brother was stabbed nineteen times at the elevation of the host in Florence's cathedral by Pazzi conspirators.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1478?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1478. The most significant is Spanish Inquisition Established: A papal bull at Isabella and Ferdinand's urging authorized a new ecclesiastical court under royal control to investigate conversos suspected of Judaizing.
What era was 1478 part of?
1478 falls within the Late Middle Ages (1301-1500). Plague, papal schism, and the seeds of nation-states.
Which regions saw notable events in 1478?
The events from 1478 span Europe.