Religion & Belief in the 11th century

259 sourced entries, 1000 CE to 1099 CE, oldest first. Also see Religion & Belief across every century or everything else in the 11th century.

1000Ichimonjiya Wasuke, the oldest surviving wagashi store, is established as a teahouse adjacent to Imamiya Shrine.source
1000The Bell foundry was founded in Italy by Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli.source
1000The papacy during this time was in a period of decline, in retrospect known as the saeculum obscurum ("Dark Age") or "pornocracy" ("rule of harlots"), a state of affairs that would result in the Great Schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy later in the 11th century.source
1000In continental Europe, the Holy Roman Empire established itself as the most powerful state. The Holy Roman Emperor Otto III made a pilgrimage from Rome to Aachen and Gniezno (Gnesen), stopping at Regensburg, Meissen, Magdeburg, and Gniezno. The Congress of Gniezno (with Bolesław I the Brave) was part of his pilgrimage. In Rome, he built the basilica of San Bartolomeo all'Isola, to host the relics of St. Bartholomew.source
1000The archdiocese in Gniezno was founded; the first archbishop was Radim Gaudentius, from Slavník dynasty, and dioceses in Kołobrzeg, Kraków and Wrocław.source
1001July – Sergius II becomes Patriarch of Constantinople.source
1001Werner I, Bishop of Strasbourg begins ruling the Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg.source
1001King Edward the Martyr of England is canonized.source
1001Oqropiri (Ioane I), Svimeon III and Melkisedek I are Catholicoi of Iberia within one year.source
1001Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor has Charlemagne's vault opened at Aachen Cathedral.source
1001Ælfgar, bishop of Elmham, is consecrated.source
1001A tomb of Saint Ivo (possibly) is uncovered in Huntingdonshire, England.source
1001The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest is established.source
1002February 15 – At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles and secondi milites (the minor nobles), Arduin of Ivrea (grandson of former King Berengar II) is restored to his domains and crowned as King of Italy in the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore. Arduin is supported by Arnulf II, archbishop of Milan.source
1002June 7 – Henry II, a cousin of Otto III, is elected and crowned as King of Germany by Archbishop Willigis at Mainz. Henry does not recognise the coronation of Arduin. Otto of Worms withdraws his nomination for the title of Holy Roman Emperor and receives the Duchy of Carinthia (modern Austria) - Henry is the first King to be elected away from the Cathedral of Aachen since the tradition was begun by Otto I in 936.source
1002June – Frederick, archbishop of Ravenna, is sent as an imperial legate to the Synod of Pöhlde, to mediate between the claims of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim and Willigis, concerning the control of Gandersheim Abbey.source
1003Construction of the Brihadisvara Temple in Tamil Nadu (modern India), during the Chola Dynasty (Early Medieval period).source
1003Heribert, archbishop of Cologne, founds Deutz Abbey at Deutz (Germany).source
1003Count Oliba (Taillefer) Ripoll. Oliba takes up the Benedictine habit at the Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll.source
1004Spring – Pope John XVIII begins his reign as the 141st pope of the Catholic Church at Rome (until 1009).source
1005November 16 – Ælfric of Abingdon, archbishop of Canterbury, leaves ships to the people of Wiltshire and Kent in his will, leaving the best, equipped for 60 men, to King Æthelred the Unready.source
1005The Shūi Wakashū ("Collection of Gleanings"), an anthology of waka (poetry), is compiled by ex-Emperor Kazan of Japan (approximate date).source
1007November 1 – King Henry II of Germany founds the Diocese of Bamberg during a synod held in Frankfurt.source
1007The Keraites, a Turco-Mongolian tribe, are converted to Nestorianism (a sect of Christianity).source
1007Ælfheah of Canterbury travels to Rome to receive his pallium – symbol of his status as an archbishop – from Pope John XVIII.source
1008Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah sends a tributary mission to Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty in order to reestablish trade relations between the Fatimid Caliphate and China (approximate date).source
1008Autumn – Bruno of Querfurt, a missionary bishop, and 18 companions sets out on a mission to spread Christianity among the Prussians.source
1008Olof Skötkonung, king of Sweden, is baptized in Husaby (Västergötland) by missionary Sigfrid, and makes generous donations on the spot.source
1009August 29 – Mainz Cathedral suffers extensive damage from a fire, which destroys the building on the day of its inauguration.source
1009October 18 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.source
1009Murasaki Shikibu teaches the Chinese written language to Empress Shoshi in secret because this is usually a male accomplishment.source
1010March 8 – Persian poet Ferdowsi finishes writing the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), which will be regarded as the national epic of the greater Iranian culture.source
1010Beowulf is written anonymously in Old English (approximate date).source
1010Lady Murasaki writes The Tale of Genji in Japanese (approximate date).source
1011The Grand Prince of Kyiv and ruler of Kievan Rus' Vladimir the Great laid the first foundations of Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.source
1011Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), an Arab scientist working in Egypt, feigns madness for fear of angering Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, and is kept under house arrest. During this time he begins writing his influential Book of Optics.source
1011Byrhtferth, Benedictine monk of Ramsey Abbey, writes his Manual (Enchiridion) on the divine order of the universe and time.source
1011Autumn – Basil Mesardonites visits Guaimar III of Salerno to secure his cooperation. Melus is forced to flee again. Basil proceeds to Monte Cassino – and persuades Abbot Atenulf to expel Dattus. Pope Sergius IV supports Dattus with papal troops, to garrison the tower on the Garigliano River, a fortified complex in the territory of the Duchy of Gaeta.source
1011The Baghdad Manifesto is ordered by Caliph Al-Qadir of the Abbasid Caliphate, in response to the growth of the Fatimid-supporting Ismaili sect of Islam within his borders.source
1012Fujiwara no Yorimichi, second son of Fujiwara no Michinaga, marries the daughter of Michinaga's enemy Fujiwara no Kintō, eventually reconciling the families. Another son of Michinaga, Fujiwara no Akinobu, causes scandal by becoming a priest without telling his parents, but they eventually accept his decision.source
1012Approximate date – Camaldolese order established by Romuald in Tuscany.source
1013Beauvais changes from a county to a bishopric (approximate date).source
1013Sulayman ibn al-Hakam reconquers the Caliphate of Córdoba in Al-Andalus (modern Spain) and deposes Hisham II. Sulayman becomes the fifth Umayyad caliph of Córdoba (until 1016).source
1013Æthelred II appoints Lyfing as archbishop of Canterbury in England. He restores Canterbury Cathedral, adding porticus towers and a massive westwork.source
1014February 14 – King Henry II arrives at Rome and is crowned Holy Roman Emperor together with his wife Cunigunde by Pope Benedict VIII in St. Peter's Basilica. Henry establishes the Diocese of Bobbio (Northern Italy) and returns to Germany.source
1014Wulfstan, archbishop of York in England, preaches his Latin homily Sermo Lupi ad Anglos ("Wulf's Address to the English"), describing the Danes as "God's judgement on England".source
1014The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol of the Faith is used for the first time during the Roman Mass, after Henry II, the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperor, asks the Pope to add it – together with the filioque clause. Prior to this date, the Creed has not been used at all during the liturgy.source
1014Hammad ibn Buluggin adopts Sunni Islam and declares his independence from the Zirid dynasty (modern Algeria). He recognizes the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad as being the rightful caliphs and becomes the first ruler of the Hammadid dynasty (until 1028).source
1017Construction of Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv is started (approximate date).source
1017Cnut divides England into four earldoms: Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria.source
1017Summer – Hamza ibn-'Ali ibn-Ahmad publicly declares the founding of the Druze religion, during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.source
1018Buckfast Abbey (located near Buckfastleigh) is founded as a Benedictine monastery in England.source
1020The French city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is founded by King Robert II (the Pious).source
1021February 13 – On one of his habitual night rides in the outskirts of Cairo, the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah disappears, most likely assassinated by disaffected palace factions, apparently involving his sister, Sitt al-Mulk.source
1022After the Council of Orléans, King Robert II of France burns thirteen heretics at Orléans. These are the first burning victims for heresy.source
1022Æthelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury, travels to Rome to obtain the pallium. He is received by Benedict VIII.source
1022Pope Benedict VIII convenes a synod at Pavia. He issues decrees to restrain simony and incontinence of the clergy.source
1023February 23 – The Chitragupta Temple (now in India at Khajuraho at the Madhya Pradesh state) is consecrated to the Hindu god Shiva, at the Maha Shivaratri celebration.source
1023March – Musharrif al-Dawla, ruler of Iraq, comes to Baghdad to see the Abbasid Caliph al-Qadir, and attempts to defy the caliphate.source
1023April 10 – Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Thu'ban becomes the new Emir of Halab (in what is now northern Syria) after Safiyy al-Dawla is dismissed by the Caliph al-Hakim.source
1023May 16 – From his capital at Mainz in Germany, Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, issues a grant of lands in Tragoess (now in Austria) to the Göss Abbey.source
1023June 15 – (17th day before the kalends of July) The body of the late Ælfheah of Canterbury, the former Archbishop of Canterbury who will later be canonized as a Roman Catholic saint and a martyr of the church, is reburied at Canterbury Cathedral on orders of England's King Canute, after being moved from St. Paul's Cathedral in London on June 12 (the 3rd day before the ides of June). King Canute, whose Danish troops had murdered Archbishop Ælfheah on April 19, 1012, during Canute's invasion of England, has ordered the reburial as an atonement for Ælfheah's death.source
1023September 14 – Rudolph III, King of Burgundy and his wife, Queen Ermengard, grant the county of Viennois to the Archbishop of Vienne.source
1023December 2 – Abd al-Rahman V becomes the Muslim Caliph of Córdoba in what is now most of the southern two-thirds of Spain and Portugal by overthrowing Al-Qasim al-Ma'mun, but only serves for six weeks until his assassination by Muhammad III.source
1023December – Abbad I declares the Taifa of Seville independent from Córdoban rule. Abd ar-Rahman V is proclaimed Caliph at Córdoba.source
1023The Dom Church at Utrecht (modern Netherlands) is severely damaged by fire. Bishop Adalbold II begins construction of a new Romanesque style church.source
1024February 17 – According to the cartulary-chronicle of the Bèze Abbey (officially the Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Bèze) in the Burgundy region of France, the brothers Girard and Lambert repent of their seizure of the village of Viévigne and restore the property to the Abbey "for the good of their souls".source
1024March 9 – In Bamberg in Germany, the Holy Roman Emperor issues an order to regulate the ongoing dispute between the ministries of Fulda and Hersfeldsource
1024March 23 (9 Muharram 415 AH) – In the first example of the reversal of the policy of religious tolerance created by the late Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, Egyptian Christian Abu Zakariyya is arrested on charges of apostasy. Zakariyya, raised as a Christian, had converted to Islam, but then renounced Islam and converted back to Christianity, with immunity granted by al-Hakim. Zakariyya, apparently singled out for punishment is executed on October 14 (7 Shaban 415 CE).source
1024March – Massud ibn Tahir al-Wazzan, the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt since 1019, is dismissed by the Caliph al-Zahir li-I'zaz Din Allah, and replaced by al-Rudhbari.source
1024April 19 – Romano de Tusculana, Count of Tusculum and the brother of the late Pope Benedict, arrives in Rome to become the 144th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and takes the name Pope John XIX.source
1024May 4 (20 Safar 415) – The Ambassador from Khorasan to Egypt is received at Cairo by the Caliph al-Zahir.source
1024September 21 – Gisela of Swabia, wife of Conrad II, is crowned as the Queen consort of Germany by Archbishop Pilgrim in a ceremony at Cologne. The royal couple then make a tour of Germany, traveling to Aachen (9/23), Nijmegen, Liege (10/2), Gendt (11/14), Dortmund and Minden.source
1024December 17 – The monastery of Grottaferrata, outside of Rome, is consecrated by Pope John XIX and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.source
1024December 29 – The Fatimid caliph celebrates the Eid al-Fitr in an elaborate ceremony at the Anwar Mosque, as recounted later by the Amir al-Musabbihi. "Social elites at the Fatimid court", by Paul E. Walker, in Court Cultures in the Muslim World Seventh to Nineteenth Centuries (Taylor & Francis, 2014)source
1024Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni sacks the Hindu religious center of Somnath and takes away a booty of 20 million dinars (approximate date).source
1024Anushtakin al-Dizbari, the Fatimid Governor of Palestine, confronts the Bedouin Jarrahids, sending troops to collect the taxes from the iqtaʿ(fief) of the Bayt Jibrin, led by Hassan ibn Mufarrij. The Jarrahids kill the collectors. Anushtakin retaliates by imprisoning two of Hassan's senior aides in Ascalon and gains permission from Caliph az-Zahir to attack Hassan while the latter is incapacitated by illness.source
1025December 25 – Mieszko II Lambert, son of Bolosław I, is formally crowned as king of Poland by the Archbishop Hippolytus in Gniezno Cathedral.source
1025Completion and publishing of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine.source
1026June 1 – The Basilica of Saint Maternus in Walcourt, modern-day Belgium, is consecrated by Bishop Réginhard of Liège.source
1027March 26 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II ("the Elder") and his wife Gisela of Swabia as Holy Roman Emperor and Empress, respectively, in Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Cnut the Great, King of Denmark and England, attends the coronation, proving his position as sole ruler of the Danish North Sea Empire.source
1027May 14 – King Robert II of France ("the Pious") sues for peace with his sons. Henry I is crowned co-king of France at Reims Cathedral, but has little power to rule (until 1031).source
1027Ealdred is appointed abbot of Tavistock Abbey in England (approximate date).source
1028April 14 – The 10-year-old Henry III (the Black), son of Emperor Conrad II (the Elder), is elected and crowned king of Germany in Aachen Cathedral by Pilgrim, archbishop of Cologne.source
1029The seat of the Bishopric of Zeitz is moved to Naumburg (Saxony-Anhalt) in Central Germany.source
1030Ouyang Xiu, a Chinese historian and scholar, obtained his jinshi degree at the age of 23, by passing the imperial examinations in the country, leading him to a distinguished path as a scholar-official.source
1031The Caliphate of Córdoba collapses after years of infighting; the caliphate fractures into a number of independent Muslim taifa (kingdoms). The last Umayyad ruler, Caliph Hisham III, tries to consolidate the caliphate, but his raising of taxes (to pay for mosques) leads to heavy opposition and he is imprisoned by his rivals.source
1032The first mention is made of Kursk, Russia, in the hagiography of Theodosius, who becomes a monk at the Kiev Caves Monastery (approximate date).source
1032Winter – Conrad II marches with his army into Champagne and devastates the land – forcing Odo II to sue for peace and swear to abandon Burgundy. The bishops prevent Conrad from seizing control of Burgundy.source
1033February 2 – Emperor Conrad II (the Elder) holds an assembly at the Abbey of Payerne and is crowned King of Burgundy. He claims dominion over the Kingdom of Burgundy which is incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire.source
1036Summer – In Naples, Duke Sergius IV abdicates and retires to a monastery; he is succeeded by his son John V.source
1036Pope Benedict IX is briefly forced out of Rome, but returns with the help of the elder Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor.source
1036The Tangut script is devised by Yeli Renrong, for Emperor Jing Zong of Western Xia.source
1037May – Conrad II, with Pavian assistance, lays siege to Milan at the Porta Romana side, but the city holds out. In Rome, Pope Benedict IX deposes Aribert as archbishop.source
1037Spring – A revolt in northern Italy is started by Archbishop Aribert of Milan. King Henry III (eldest son of Emperor Conrad II) travels south of the Alps to quell it.source
1039The Abbey of Bec is founded at Le Bec-Hellouin in Normandy (modern France).source
1040Weihenstephan Abbey (Kloster Weihenstephan) in Germany, founds the oldest operating brewery.source
1040The Shalu Monastery is founded by the Buddhist monk Chetsun Sherab Jungnay in Tibet.source
1040The Emirate of Sicily is divided and fragmented into small fiefdoms. The Arab nobles of Palermo restore the regime of the Kalbids (approximate date).source
1042April 20 – Zoë is proclaimed as empress at an assembly in Hagia Sophia, along with her sister Theodora, as co-ruler. Michael V flees to the monastery of Stoudios, but is arrested, blinded and castrated.source
1043April 3 – Edward the Confessor is crowned king of England at Winchester Cathedral. He learns that his mother, Queen Emma of Normandy is plotting with Magnus the Good to take control of the English throne. Edward strips her land and treasure, but she is allowed to stay in England.source
1043Spring – A grand assembly at Melfi, with all the Norman and Lombard nobles acclaim Guaimar IV, duke of Apulia and Calabria. The territories are divided into 12 fiefdoms and distributed among Norman chieftains. William Iron Arm is granted Ascoli as a private fiefdom and his brother Drogo of Hauteville is granted Venosa. Count Rainulf II of Aversa, not present at the assembly, receives Siponto and recognizes Guaimar's suzerainty.source
1044September – A second Roman uprising forces Pope Benedict IX out of Rome. He is succeeded by the new elected (anti)-Pope Sylvester III (until 1045).source
1045January 20 – Pope Sylvester III becomes the 146th pope, succeeding Benedict IX, who abdicated during the previous year.source
1045January 23 – Edward the Confessor, King of England, marries Edith of Wessex (daughter of Earl Godwin) and she is crowned queen consort at Winchester. This year also in England, Edward begins construction of Westminster Abbey.source
1045February – Pope Sylvester III is deposed (election deemed invalid); Pope Benedict IX is elected once more, becoming the 147th pope.source
1045May 5 – Pope Gregory VI becomes the 148th pope, following the resignation of Pope Benedict IX in exchange for money. There are growing allegations that simony is taking place during Gregory VI's reign.source
1046December 20 – Pope Gregory VI is accused of simony at the Council of Sutri, and abdicates as pope of the Catholic Church.source
1046December 25 – Pope Clement II succeeds Gregory VI as the 149th pope, and crowns Henry III as Holy Roman Emperor.source
1046Summer – Ex-Pope Benedict IX gives up a renewed attempt to reclaim the papal throne in Rome; Sylvester III reasserts his claim.source
1046Ealdred, bishop of Worcester, leads troops from England on an unsuccessful punitive raid against the Welsh leaders Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, Rhys ap Rhydderch and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.source
1046Hildesheim Cathedral (Germany) is largely destroyed by fire.source
1046Autumn – King Henry III ("the Black") travels to Italy to secure the imposition of Guido da Velate, archbishop of Milan, and other similarly loyal candidates in other sees (like Ravenna, Verona and Modena).source
1048July 16 – At orders of Henry III, German troops under Boniface III, Margrave of Tuscany ("of Canossa"), enter Rome and expel Pope Benedict IX.source
1048December – Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, bishop of Toul, is selected as the new pope by an assembly at Worms - after canonical election in Rome next February, he assumes the name Pope Leo IX.source
1048Winter – Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor appoints his cousin, Bishop Bruno of Toul (related to the counts of Egisheim-Dagsburg in Upper Alsace) as successor of Damasus II at an assembly at Worms.source
1049January 13 – Theodwin, prince-bishop of Liège, defeats Count Dirk IV of West Frisia near Dordrecht and restores imperial authority in the Rhine Delta.source
1049February 12 – Pope Leo IX succeeds Damasus II, as the 152nd pope of the Catholic Church. He goes on a one-year trip to promote the cause of the reformist program among the European prelates.source
1050King Edward the Confessor unites the English dioceses of Devon and Cornwall. He moves the see from Crediton to Exeter and gives the order to build a cathedral. Leofric becomes the first bishop of Exeter.source
1050The brewery of Weltenburg Abbey (modern Germany) is first mentioned, thus making it one of the oldest still operating breweries in the world (approximate date).source
1051May 19 – King Henry I of France marries Anne of Kiev at the cathedral of Reims. William of Normandy marries Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin V, which Henry sees as a threat to his throne.source
1051Hilarion of Kiev (or Ilarion) becomes the first non-Greek metropolitan bishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church, in Kiev.source
1052Byōdō-in, a Japanese Buddhist temple (located in the Kyoto Prefecture), changes its name by order of Fujiwara no Yorimichi.source
1053Jōchō sculpts Amida Buddha for the Byōdō-in Temple in Japan during the Heian period (approximate date).source
1054July 16 – East-West Schism: Humbert of Silva Candida, representative of the newly deceased Leo IX, breaks the relations between Western and Eastern Churches, through the act of placing an invalidly-issued Papal Bull of excommunication during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.source
1054Spring – Pope Leo IX sends a legatine mission, under Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida, to Constantinople, to negotiate with Patriarch Michael I Cerularius, in response to his actions concerning the church in Constantinople. Leo becomes the first pope directly to invoke the forged Donation of Constantine, citing a large portion in a letter to Michael, believing it genuine.source
1055April 13 – Pope Victor II succeeds Leo IX as the 153rd pope of the Catholic Church in Rome (until 1057).source
1055King Andrew I of Hungary ("the Catholic") establishes the Benedictine Tihany Abbey. Its foundation charter is the earliest written record extant in the Hungarian language.source
1056June 16 – In response to the attack on Hereford Cathedral in 1055, Leofgar the bishop of Hereford takes an army into Wales to deal with the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. He along with a large number of English troops is killed in battle at Glasbury-on-Wye by the Welsh. Earl Harold Godwinson raises an army to take revenge, but comes to peaceful terms with Gruffydd.source
1056Dromtön, an Atiśa chief disciple, founds Reting Monastery in the Reting Tsangpo Valley (north of Lhasa) as the seat of Kadam lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.source
1058November 6 – Byzantine Emperor Isaac I Komnenos deposes Michael I Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, and has him exiled to Prokonnessos (until 1059).source
1058Bolesław II the Generous, eldest son of Casimir I the Restorer, succeeds his father after his death in Poznań and becomes duke of Poland.source
1058Ealdred, archbishop of York, becomes the first English bishop to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.source
1058Spring – Pope Stephen IX pronounces on the authenticity of the relics of Mary Magdalene at Vézelay Abbey in Burgundy, making it a major centre of pilgrimage.source
1059January 24 – Pope Nicholas II succeeds Stephen IX as the 155th pope of the Catholic Church. He is installed in Rome in opposition to Antipope Benedict X – the brother of the late Pope Benedict IX (deposed in 1048).source
1059April 13 – Nicholas II, with the agreement of the Lateran Council, issues the papal bull In nomine Domini, making the College of Cardinals the sole voters in the papal conclave for the election of popes.source
1059November 22 – Emperor Isaac I Komnenos falls ill on a hunt and retires to a monastery after a 2-year reign. He abdicates the Byzantine throne and appoints Constantine X, a Paphlagonian nobleman, as his successor.source
1060The compilation of the New Book of Tang is completed, under a team of scholars led by Ouyang Xiu.source
1060Anselm enters the Benedictine Bec Abbey in Normandy, as a novice (approximate date).source
1061The Speyer Cathedral is consecrated in Speyer (modern Germany).source
1061Spring – Robert de Grandmesnil, his nephew Berengar, half-sister Judith (future wife of Roger I), and eleven monks of the Abbey of Saint-Evroul, are banished by Duke William II ("the Bastard") of Normandy for violence, and travel to Southern Italy.source
1062Spring – Coup of Kaiserswerth: The 11-year-old King Henry IV is abducted, as a result of a conspiracy of German nobles led by Anno II, archbishop of Cologne. Henry's education and training is supervised by Anno, who acts as his regent and is called his magister (his "master" or "teacher"). Empress Agnes of Poitou (Henry's mother) resigns the throne, and Anno with the archbishops Siegfried I and Adalbert of Hamburg takes her place.source
1062Affligem Abbey, of the Order of St. Benedict, is founded in Affligem (modern Belgium).source
1062Marrakesh is founded by the Almoravids which becomes their capital.source
1063Doge Domenico I orders the construction of the present building of St Mark's Basilica at Venice (approximate date).source
1063Anselm, later to become archbishop of Canterbury, becomes prior at the Abbey of Bec (approximate date).source
1063The bishopric of Olomouc (located on the River Morava) is founded (modern Czech Republic).source
1064Michaelsberg Abbey at Siegburg (modern Germany) is founded by Anno II, archbishop of Cologne.source
1064Winter – Great German Pilgrimage: Archbishop Siegfried I of Mainz leads a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Either during this pilgrimage or shortly before it, the Ezzolied; a High German poem on the life of Jesus, is composed.source
1065December 28 – Westminster Abbey is consecrated by King Edward the Confessor.source
1065Gregory II the Martyrophile is consecrated as catholicos of the Armenian church in Tzamandossource
1065Great German Pilgrimage of 1064–65: A large pilgrimage led by Siegfried I (archbishop of Mainz) arrives in Jerusalem after having been attacked by Bedouin bandits. Two weeks later (in April) they return to Ramla and take ships back to Latakia.source
1065Sima Guang, chancellor of the Song dynasty, heads a team of scholars in initiating the compilation of an enormous written universal history of China, known as the Zizhi Tongjian.source
1066January 6 – Harold Godwinson (now known as Harold II) is crowned king of England, probably in the new Westminster Abbey, where Edward the Confessor's funeral took place not long before the coronation.source
1066December – William the Conqueror moves along the south coast to Dover, and builds fortifications in the existing castle at the top of the cliffs. He moves to Canterbury and finally enters London. Archbishop Stigand and other English leaders submit to William's rule. On December 25, he is crowned as King William I of England in Westminster Abbey over Edward the Confessor's grave.source
1066Egyptian military commander Abu Sa'd Mansur ibn Zunbur known as al-sayyid, al-afḍal appointed Vizier in Egypt.source
1066The Abu Hanifa Mosque is established in Baghdad, when the Grand Vizier of the Seljuk Empire, Abu Saad al-Khwarizmi or al-Mustawfi, builds a shrine for Abu Hanifa near his tomb.source
1066unknown date – Tain becomes the first town in Scotland to be chartered as a royal burgh by King Malcolm III (Canmore).source
1067December 6 – A fire, the second in as many years, heavily damages Canterbury Cathedral in England.source
1067Spring – King William I (the Conqueror) returns to Normandy and takes with him Edgar Ætheling (grandson of Edmund Ironside), Archbishop Stigand, and the brothers Morcar and Edwin.source
1068May 11 – William I brings his wife Matilda of Flanders to England. She is crowned queen in Westminster Abbey.source
1068Rethra destruction: In the Annals of Augsburg, the Slavic city is mentioned for the last time under the year 1068. It is captured by bishop Burchard, who destroys their temple and abducts the sacred white horse living there.source
1070April 11 – Stigand is deposed as Archbishop of Canterbury in England by papal legates and imprisoned.source
1070April – Council of Winchester.source
1070May 1 – After 353 years of being exiled to Lugo due to the Muslim occupation of the city of Braga, the Diocese of Braga is restored by order of Ferdinand I of León under Archbishop Pedro of Braga thanks to the advancing Christian forces during the Reconquista.source
1070August 15 – The Pavian-born Benedictine Lanfranc is appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in England.source
1070Spring – King Sweyn II of Denmark joins rebels in England led by Hereward the Wake and captures the Isle of Ely in The Fens of East Anglia. On June 1 Hereward sacks Peterborough Abbey with support from Sweyn's Danes.source
1070The rebuilding of Canterbury Cathedral in England following a fire begins.source
1070Uyghur poet Yusuf Khass Hajib of Balasagun, in the Kara-Khanid Khanate, completes the Kutadgu Bilig ("The Wisdom Which Brings Good Fortune"), and presents it to the prince of Kashgar.source
1071October 24 – Romanos IV is deposed by John Doukas (Caesar) and his political advisor Michael Psellos after his return to Constantinople. Michael VII Doukas is crowned co-emperor and his mother Eudokia is forced to retire to a monastery.source
1072May 27 – The Accord of Winchester establishes the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Archbishop of York, in the Church of England.source
1072June 29 – Romanos IV Diogenes, deposed ruler of the Byzantine Empire, is blinded and sent into exile to the island of Proti (in the Sea of Marmara) at the Monastery of Transfiguration. A few days before his death, he receives a letter from Michael Psellos (his political advisor), congratulating him on the loss of his eyes.source
1072Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, an informative book written by Mahmud al-Kashgari about the Turks, is presented to the ruler of the Kara-Khanid Khanate.source
1073October 14 – The Judicate of Arborea (one of the four independent kingdoms in Sardinia) is recognised by Pope Gregory VII.source
1073John IX bar Shushan ends his term as Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.source
1073Rabbi Yitchaki Alfassi finishes writing the Rif, an important work of Jewish law.source
1074Pope Gregory VII temporarily excommunicates the Norman nobleman Robert Guiscard.source
1074Spring – Badr al-Jamali becomes Chief Wazir (Grand Vizier) and effectively military dictator of the Fatimid Caliphate under Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah in Egypt.source
1075February – Pope Gregory VII holds a council in the Lateran Palace at Rome. He publishes a decree against laymen investiture (an act which will later cause the Investiture Controversy).source
1075April – The Dictatus papae (a compilation of 27 statements of powers) are included in the registry of Gregory VII, in which he asserts papal authority over earthly as well as spiritual rulers.source
1075August 25 – Council of London: Archbishop Lanfranc instigates the movement of English bishoprics. One of these is the bishopric of Sherborne and Wilton which is moved to Old Sarum.source
1075December 8 – Gregory VII writes a letter of reprimand to Henry IV. He accuses him of breaching his word and continued support of excommunicated councilors.source
1076January 24 – Synod of Worms: Emperor Henry IV, holds a synod in Worms (modern Germany). The assembly declares Pope Gregory VII deposed, and the bishops abandon their allegiance to him.source
1076February 22 – Gregory VII pronounces a sentence of excommunication against Henry IV at Rome. He is excluded from the Catholic Church, and all the bishops named by Henry are excommunicated.source
1076December 26 – Bolesław II the Bold (or "the Generous") is crowned as King of Poland by Archbishop Bogumił in Gniezno Cathedral. Bolesław supports Gregory VII in his conflict against Henry IV.source
1076Summer – Dirk V, count of Holland, re-conquers West Frisia (modern Netherlands) from the Archdiocese of Utrecht. He besieges Bishop Conrad at the castle of IJsselmonde, taking him prisoner.source
1076Anselm of Aosta, an Italian Benedictine abbot, completes his Monologion at the request of his fellow monks.source
1076Demetrius Zvonimir donates the Benedictine monastery of St. Gregory in Vrana to Gregory VII.source
1077January 25 – Walk to Canossa: Emperor Henry IV travels to the Castle of Canossa near Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy), to visit Pope Gregory VII. He waits (with his wife Bertha of Savoy and son Conrad) at the gates for three days, for absolution of his excommunication. Gregory lifts the sentence, imposing on Henry a vow to comply with certain conditions (see Investiture Controversy).source
1077April 3 – Henry IV grants the County of Friuli (with ducal status) to Sigaerd of Beilstein, patriarch of Aquileia. He creates the first Parliament, representing the communes as well the nobility and clergy.source
1077September 1 – Pope Gregory VII appoints Landulf as bishop of Pisa. He makes him permanent legate of the Holy See in Corsica.source
1077Paul of Caen is installed as abbot of St. Albans in England. He commences the building of St. Albans Abbey Church.source
1077The Bayeux Tapestry (embroidery) is completed, probably in England, possibly to unveil at the dedication of Bayeux Cathedral this year.source
1077Pope Christodolos ends his reign as leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria (modern Egypt).source
1078March 24 – Nikephoros Botaneiates enters Constantinople in triumph and is crowned by Patriarch Cosmas I as emperor Nikephoros III of the Byzantine Empire. Michael VII resigns his throne after a 7-year reign and retires into the Monastery of Stoudios.source
1078July 11 – The Romanesque tympanum of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia (Spain) is constructed.source
1078A church council in Poitiers deposes Bishop Sylvester of Rennes who had bought his office in 1076. This leads also to the flight of Robert of Arbrissel to Paris where he begins his studies.source
1078Anselm is elected abbot of Bec Abbey, in Normandy.source
1078Approximate date – The White Tower of the Tower of London is begun, under the direction of Gundulf (or Gundulph), bishop of Rochester.source
1079April 11 – Stanislaus of Szczepanów, bishop of Kraków, is executed on orders by King Bolesław II the Generous. The way in which his sentence is carried out causes a revolt among the Polish nobles. Bolesław is forced to flee, to take refuge at the court of King Ladislaus I of Hungary. He is succeeded by his brother Władysław I, as ruler of Poland.source
1079Constance, queen of Castile and León, founds a monastery in Burgos (approximate date).source
1080May 14 – Walcher, bishop of Durham, is killed by rebel Northumbrians. King William the Conqueror sends a punitive expedition led by his half-brother Odo of Bayeux to pacify Northumbria.source
1080June 25 – Wibert of Ravenna is elected as Antipope Clement III during the pro-imperial Synod of Brixen. Pope Gregory VII is deposed, signed in a decree by Henry IV.source
1080Osmund, bishop of Salisbury, builds Devizes Castle in Wiltshire.source
1080King Alfonso VI ("the Brave") of León and Castile establishes Latin liturgy in the Catholic Church, in place of the Hispanic Rite.source
1080Benno II, bishop of Osnabrück, founds the Benedictine abby of Iburg Castle (modern Germany).source
1081April 1 – Emperor Nikephoros III is forced to abdicate the throne, and retires to the Peribleptos monastery. He is succeeded by Alexios I Komnenos, who is crowned on April 5, as ruler of the Byzantine Empire. His brother-in-law Nikephoros Melissenos supports Alexios as new emperor, in exchange for the title of Caesar (co-emperor), and is appointed as commander of the Byzantine armies in the West.source
1081Construction begins on St. Canute's Cathedral in Odense (modern Denmark).source
1081Pope Gregory VII writes a letter to Bishop Hermann of Metz about the behavior of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (approximate date).source
1082Construction of the Rochester Cathedral is completed in England.source
1082Approximate date – The Korean printing of the entire Buddhist Tripiṭaka is completed.source
1082Winter – Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, leads an expedition into Italy and besieges Rome. He gains entry and a synod is agreed upon by the Romans to rule on the dispute between Henry and Pope Gregory VII.source
1083Summer – Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor besieges Pope Gregory VII in Castel Sant'Angelo at Rome.source
1084March 31 – Emperor Henry IV besieges Rome and enters the city. He is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Antipope Clement III in Rome and receives the patrician authority.source
1084Pope Gregory VII, who has been forced by the presence in Rome of Henry IV to retreat to the Castel Sant'Angelo, is freed by Robert Guiscard and restores papal authority in Rome.source
1084Building work starts on Worcester Cathedral in England, orchestrated by Bishop Wulfstan.source
1084Bruno of Cologne founds the Carthusian Order which includes both monks and nuns. He builds a hermitage in the French Alps.source
1085Emperor Henry IV declares the Peace of God in all the imperial territories of the Holy Roman Empire to quell any sedition.source
1086May 24 – Pope Victor III succeeds Gregory VII as the 158th pope of the Catholic Church, though he does not accept election until 1087.source
1087May: The marriage of Caliph al-Muqtadi and Mah-i Mulk is consummated. This marriage strengthens the political relation of Malik-Shah I and the Caliph.source
1087A fire in London destroys much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral. Bishop Maurice starts the rebuilding of a new, much larger cathedral.source
1088March 12 – Pope Urban II (Urbanus) succeeds Victor III as the 159th pope of the Catholic Church in Rome.source
1088William II calls the representatives of the fyrd to a meeting in London. He promises (with the support of Lanfranc, bishop of Canterbury) the people better laws, and the removal of taxes if they support him against the rebels.source
1089March 21 – Cîteaux Abbey, the first Cistercian monastery, is established by a group of French monks under Robert of Molesme in southern France.source
1089August 28 – Braga Cathedral in the County of Portugal has its reconstruction (following 353 years of Muslim occupation) completed sufficiently for its consecration to the Virgin Mary to take place.source
1089A church council, held in Constantinople, discuses relations between Eastern and Western Christianity.source
1089The Synod of Melfi, led by Pope Urban II (his first papal council), issues decrees against simony and clerical marriage.source
1091December – Athanasius VI bar Khamoro becomes (against his will) patriarch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Antioch (until 1129).source
1092April 21 – The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the dignity of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II.source
1092May 11 – Lincoln Cathedral, one of England's finest Gothic buildings, is consecrated.source
1092May 21 – Synod of Szabolcs: King Ladislaus I of Hungary assembles a council of the prelates of his kingdom at the fortress of Szabolcs.source
1093March 6 – Anselm, Italian Benedictine abbot and theologian, becomes archbishop of Canterbury in England, succeeding Lanfranc. The post of archbishop has been left vacant since 1089 by King William II of England – so he can collect the church's income for himself.source
1093April 8 – Monks move into the new Winchester Cathedral in England, constructed by the Norman bishop Walkelin.source
1093August 11 – Construction of Durham Cathedral in England begins, replacing the Saxon 'White Church'.source
1094May 15 – The Cathedral of St. Agatha in Catania (Sicily) is consecrated by the Breton abbot Ansger.source
1094October 8 – Doge Vitale Faliero consecrates the new Basilica of San Marco in Venice.source
1094King Ladislaus I of Hungary founds a diocese (alongside the bishop's see) in Zagreb.source
1094Al-Musta'li becomes the nineteenth imam of Musta'li Ismailismsource
1095March – Emperor Alexios I Komnenos send envoys to Pope Urban II at the Council of Piacenza and appeals to the Christian states of Western Europe for military aid against the Seljuk Turks. Urban responds favourably, hoping to heal the Great Schism of 40 years earlier, and to reunite the Catholic Church under papal primacy by helping the Eastern churches.source
1095November 18 – The Council of Clermont begins. The synod is called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land.source
1095November 27 – Urban II preaches the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont; Peter the Hermit begins to preach throughout France.source
1095November 28 – Urban II appoints Bishop Adhemar of Le Puy and Count Raymond IV of Toulouse ("Saint-Gilles"), to lead the First Crusade.source
1095The Ismaili Shia split into the Musta'li and Nizari branch.source
1095Valence Cathedral is consecrated in Valence (approximate date).source
1096February – Robert of Arbrissel founds a monastery at La Roë.source
1096August – Godfrey of Bouillon, duke of Lower Lorraine, accompanied by his younger brother Baldwin, sets off to join the First Crusade (called by Pope Urban II) at the head of an army of some 40,000 men. He pledges his allegiance to Emperor Henry IV who issues an order not to harm Jewish communities.source
1096October – Raymond IV ("Saint-Gilles"), count of Toulouse, sets off to join the First Crusade. He travels with his army, accompanied by his wife Elvira and Bishop Adhemar of Le Puy, via Provence through the Balkan route (along the coast of Croatia). He arrives at Dyrrachium to march to Thessaloniki.source
1096December 25 – Godfrey of Bouillon is appointed the primary leader of the First Crusade, making it a largely French war in practice and causing the inhabitants of the Holy Land to refer to Europeans generally as "Franks". Godfrey and the other leaders agree to take an oath of loyalty to Alexios I.source
1096December – The last of the four planned Crusader armies arrives at Constantinople, bringing the total numbers to 60,000 infantry and knights. Curiously there isn't a single king among the Crusaders' leaders. At this time Philip I, William II, and Henry IV are all under excommunication by Urban II.source
1096In Ireland, the Diocese of Waterford is established.source
1097October – Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, goes into exile. Conflicts between him and William II result in Anselm leaving England and heading for Rome. William confiscates Anselm's land.source
1097William II orders the construction of Westminster Hall near Westminster Abbey in London. The hall is designed to hold banquets, ceremonies and coronations that take place in the Abbey nearby.source
1098March 21 – Cîteaux Abbey, located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, is founded by Robert of Molesme, founder of the Cistercian Order.source
1098August – Fatimid forces under Caliph Al-Musta'li recapture Jerusalem and occupy Palestine. The Crusaders threaten the borders of the Fatimid Caliphate which already has lost the Emirate of Sicily (see 1091).source
1098October – The Council of Bari presided by Pope Urban II discusses relations between the Western and the Eastern Church.source
1099January 16 – The Crusaders, under Raymond IV, count of Toulouse (Raymond of Saint-Gilles), leave Antioch, and head south towards Jerusalem. They are joined by forces of Tancred (a nephew of Bohemond I) and Robert II, duke of Normandy. Raymond is given free passage and supplies, and accepts guides from the Emir of Shaizar (modern Syria), who conducts the army (6,000 men) across the Orontes River (between Shaizar and Hama).source
1099July 22 – The Kingdom of Jerusalem is established in the Middle East. Godfrey of Bouillon is named king (but refuses to be crowned) and takes the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri.source
1099December 21 – The Crusaders under Bohemond I and Baldwin arrive at Jerusalem. Four days later, Daimbert, archbishop of Pisa, is installed as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.source
1099The commune in Emilia founds the Modena Cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint Geminianus. The Italian sculptor Wiligelmo creates reliefs with Genesis scenes.source