Trade and Commerce Trade routes connected the Islamic world and Europe more intimately than often assumed. England, as a growing maritime power, participated in trade networks that brought luxury goods like spices, silk, and precious metals from the Islamic East. English merchants, particularly i

The relationship between England and Islam is a rich and complex story spanning over a millennium. Though separated by geography, culture, and religion, England and the Islamic world have interacted in many ways—from early medieval encounters, through the Crusades, to trade, scholarship, and m

Although the towering figures of Renaissance Florence like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were still in the future, the city was home to many influential people in 1380. Dante Alighieri had died about 40 years earlier, but his Divine Comedy was already shaping Florentine culture. &nbs

Florence was a city marked by political intrigue and factional rivalry. In 1380, the Albizzi family was one of the dominant forces in Florentine politics, controlling many government offices and influencing policy. The Medici were still emerging as bankers and patrons, but would rise dramatically in