Pluralism became a problem in the late middle ages, 1500. Many officials held two or more positions within the church at the same time, this allowed a single individual to reap the rewards of multiple positions while still performing the service of one.

Indulgences were a common practice of Catholic church from before the middle ages through the sixteenth century. In particular, Pope Leo X granted a special jubilee indulgence to finance Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, religious reformers such as Martin Luther openly criticized the practice of paying for penance. Indulgences …

Raphael painted School of Athens after he arrived in Rome, 1510- 1511. The School of Athens depicts a gathering of ancient philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras. This work illustrates the revival of classical thought, especially pertaining to harmony and order, during the Italian Renaissance.

Civic humanism was an ideal that emerged in the Italian Renaissance, 1400.Many people believed that the only way to truly mature as an individual was to participate in the life of the state. They believed that the study of humanities could be used to ensure the overall wellbeing of …

At it's height, in the fifteenth century the House of Medici was the most prominent banking family in Europe. Originally a cloth producer, the Medicis gained great power in commerce, real estate and finance that spread throughout northern Italy, France, and even into England. The Medici family's power declined after …

The Hanseatic League was formed in the thirteenth century. Several German coastal towns, including L"ubeck, Hamburg, and Bremen formed a commercial and military league to obtain commercial breaks and to protect themselves from pirates. The League grew rapidly and by 1500 it had grown to as many as eighty …