Medieval History Resources – Part 1 of 2
Welcome to our comprehensive Medieval History Resources page! Dive into the fascinating world of the Middle Ages with a curated collection of resources, meticulously gathered to enrich your understanding of this pivotal era in human history.
Our collection features a wealth of primary sources, including manuscripts, illuminations, and historical texts, allowing you to explore the authentic voices and perspectives of the time. Immerse yourself in the works of renowned medieval authors, unravel the secrets of religious manuscripts, and witness the artistic brilliance captured in beautifully illuminated masterpieces.
For a more comprehensive exploration, our website presents organized access to various topics within medieval studies. Discover bibliographies, searchable indexes, and curated links to delve deeper into specific areas of interest. From myths and legends to religion, medicine, warfare, and more, our resources cover the multidimensional aspects of medieval life.
Immerse yourself in the Middle Ages through our interactive experiences. Embark on virtual tours of renowned institutions such as the Louvre and the British Library, where you can virtually “turn” the pages of manuscripts and explore detailed exhibits showcasing medieval art and artifacts. Let the vivid imagery transport you back in time and ignite your imagination.
Georgetown University provides a user-friendly website for accessing free electronic resources in medieval studies. The site offers bibliographies, a searchable index, links to special topics, and full-text versions of medieval works. You can easily find videos, maps, images, primary texts, courses, and more. The website’s menus and links connect you to databases, services, texts, and images hosted on other servers.
This online finding-aid covers journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages.
The website, created by the National Library of the Netherlands and the Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum, grants access to around 11,000 manuscript illuminations. These illuminations, predominantly from the late medieval period (15th century), can be searched in multiple languages. It’s important to note that this site provides access to illuminations only, not complete manuscripts.
In this resource list you will find suggestions for reading and assistance relating to the wonderful world of handwritten books and documents, both medieval and early modern.
Created by students at Brown University, this interactive project aims to stimulate exploration and discussion of the Decameron texts. These stories depict individuals seeking refuge from the Plague in Florence. Serving as a comprehensive encyclopedia of early modern life and a summary of late medieval culture, the Decameron delves into timeless human situations and dilemmas.
Includes Greek and The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources.
Created by Fordham University, this website introduces resources available for research about medieval London and its people, focusing not only on documentary and narrative sources in print, but also archaeological, visual, and cartographic sources that illuminate the physical and material world inhabited by medieval Londoners. An important component of the website is the Medieval Londoners Database (MLD), which records the activities of London residents between c. 1100 and 1520, and is searchable by name, gender, citizenship status, location (ward, parish, and street if available), craft, occupation, civic office, and craft office, among other variables.
This academic association serves as a representative body for scholars with a keen interest in medieval warfare. It provides a comprehensive online resources section featuring articles, primary texts, and book reviews. The association’s website serves as a broad platform catering to individuals interested in various aspects of war, including technical, tactical, social, economic, political, religious, diplomatic, geographic, and gender-related elements.
The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester aims to make available in e-format texts, images, bibliographies, and basic information about King Arthur and his associated canon. The project explains the development of Arthurian legend and provides character information, showcases select images, authors, and texts, and suggests related links and guides.
Over five thousand concise biographies of individuals who have made a significant contribution to national life, whether in Wales or more widely.
Structured information relating to all the recorded inhabitants of England from the late sixth to the late eleventh century.. based on a systematic examination of the available written sources for the period.
A fully-searchable database containing over 64,000 names of people known to have migrated to England in this period.
This is an interesting introduction to Scandinavian life during the Viking Age. Major topics include Daily Life, Martial Arts, Shipbuilding, Language, Literature, Myths and Religion. The website essentially a series of clear and well-illustrated essays. With interesting subtopics like “Honor, Dueling, and Drengskapr,” and Viking grooming practices, you’re bound to learn something new about these feared European invaders.
Medieval Church is an Internet resource for studying the Church of the Middle Ages. It provides detailed bibliographies, theological articles, and Web resources.
Includes British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography.
The FMG’s goals include advancing public education in the study of medieval genealogy. To that end there is an “Open Access”‘ area with research guides and more access to resources if you register at the site. The Foundation is also developing a bibliographic dataset of secondary source material for medieval genealogy that includes books and journal articles in the library collection of the FMG.
This medieval-oriented blog offers news, articles, videos and general information about the Middle Ages and medieval society. Posts include “Top Ten Medieval Stories of 2010,” “Christmas in the Middle Ages,” “The Black Death,” and “Dancing with Death: Warfare, Wounds and Disease in the Middle Ages,” among others.
Publishes editions of English medieval ecclesiastical records.
The exhibition titled “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothèque nationale de France” (presented via the Library of Congress) offers a captivating journey through the political and cultural history of France from the era of Charlemagne to Charles de Gaulle. Over 200 significant “treasures” from the Bibliothèque nationale de France are showcased, chosen for their historical significance and artistic value, with the aim of providing insight into the complex history of France, the United States’ oldest ally. The section titled “Monarchs and Monasteries: (late 8th — late 15th centuries)” delves into the interplay between knowledge and power in Medieval France. It features sixteen primary source objects, including beautifully illuminated manuscripts such as prayer books and royal chronicles, offering a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the era.
Promoting research into the life and times of Richard III.
This is a scholarly website that, among other objectives, produces texts and translations of the trials of Joan of Arc. Most of the teaching documents are course syllabi. There are maps of Joan’s journeys One of the more interesting sections presents numerous ways in which “high” art and popular culture have depicted Joan of Arc.
Over 9 million images of manuscripts held at the National Archives UK, spanning 1176 to the end of Queen Victoria’s reign; of broader interest than purely legal history
Many sources for British history, can be filtered by period. Examples include Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, Inquisitions Post Mortem, Calendar of Close Rolls, Calendar of Patent Rolls, Calendar of Papal Registers, Parliament Rolls of Medieval England and many local history resources.
Scholarly open-access edition of the Arabic text with English translation.
Mapping the Medieval Countryside is a major research project dedicated to creating a digital edition of the medieval English inquisitions post mortem (IPMs) from c. 1236 to 1509.
The REGESTA IMPERII (RI) list all documented and historiographically documented activities of the Roman-German kings and emperors from the Carolingians to Maximilian I (ca. 751-1519) as well as the popes of the early and high Middle Ages in the form of German-language regesta.
Free access to over 20,000 images of Registers produced by the Archbishops of York, 1225-1650.
How did Tudor England react to infectious outbreaks like “sweating sickness” and the plague? In this talk presented by Dr. Euan Roger, the Principal Medieval Records Specialist at the UK National Archives, students will learn about Henry VIII’s attitudes to infectious disease, Tudor social distancing, and the introduction of the first government quarantine measures in 1517. Roger also explains the varied and often hostile reactions that people had to these new measures once they were put into effect.
Records relating to the English administration of Gascony in the late middle ages (1317-1467). Includes translations of most if not all of the rolls..
The Gothic Ivories Project from the Courtauld Institute of Art is an online database of ivory sculptures made in Western Europe ca. 1200-ca. 1530. There is an advanced search option and each entry is accompanied by at least one image, so you’ll get a sense of the varied ways ivory was used to create beautiful objects. You can also zoom in and elarge the images.
DigiVatLib is a digital library service. It provides free access to the Vatican Library’s digitized collections: manuscripts, incunabula, archival materials and inventories as well as graphic materials, coins and medals, printed materials (special projects).
Genealogy and family, historical and administrative research, virtual exhibitions, cultural and educational offer, archives and publications, etc.
Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library that aims to challenge how we all think and feel about health.
Digital library of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Features an extensive list of articles and short bios on numerous historic individuals associated with the Catholic Church. That said, it is not exclusively a church encyclopedia, nor is it limited to churchmen.
The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) seeks to preserve cultural heritage and make it available to as wide an audience as possible. To achieve this we provide grants to applicants to digitise and document archives. ‘Endangered’ means material that is at risk of loss or decay, and is located in countries where resources and opportunities to preserve such material are lacking or limited. ‘Archives’ refers to materials in written, pictorial or audio formats, including manuscripts, rare printed books, documents, newspapers, periodicals, photographs and sound recordings.
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Digital Repository
This list contains resources of various types for the study of the history and literature of the early medieval world (c.300 – c.1100).
The Internet History Sourcebooks, curated by Paul Halsall, offer a valuable collection of historical texts that are in the public domain and available for educational use. The site is well-structured, and it contains an impressive range of materials. It is specifically organized into three main index pages, along with additional supplementary documents. It includes selected texts for teaching purposes, a helpful guide for research questions, secondary articles, historical texts on law, maps and images with permissions for use, a compilation of medieval-themed films and music, and more.
Resource list relevant to the study of history in the late medieval world (c. 1100-c.1500).
- Spartacus Internet Encyclopedia
This encyclopedia-style resource concentrates on British history from the medieval era on. Contains overviews, essays, images, on topics such as Medieval World and British History.
The British Library has developed an award-winning interactive display system to enhance public access and enjoyment of its valuable treasures. Using touch-screen technology and animation, visitors can virtually “turn” the pages of manuscripts in a realistic manner. The Turning the Pages exhibition currently features fifteen treasures, some of which are from the Medieval period. Notable displays include the Lindisfarne Gospels, an exquisite manuscript from the early Middle Ages, the Lisbon Hebrew Bible showcasing Jewish cultural life in pre-expulsion Portugal, the Sherborne Missal, the largest surviving late medieval service book after the Reformation, and the Golden Haggadah, an exceptional manuscript from medieval Spain. These captivating and visually stunning exhibits are highly recommended.
The Tudor Encyclopedia is a comprehensive compilation of articles covering various aspects of the Tudor period. It includes 60 biographies and numerous other articles on subjects such as the Battle of Bosworth, Act of Union, Agriculture and Enclosures, Anglicans and Puritans, The Babington Plot, Catholics and Protestants, Elizabethan Theatre, Elizabeth and Marriage, Henry VIII and the Pope, Kett Rebellion, Poverty in Tudor England, The Protestant Reformation, Pilgrimage of Grace, The Ridolfi Plot, The Spanish Armada, Sports and Pastimes, The Throckmorton Plot, Tobacco in Tudor England, Tudor Artists, Tudor Heretics, Tudor Monasteries, Tudor Parliaments, Tudor Wales, and the Tyndale Bible. It serves as a valuable resource for exploring the Tudor era.
Anglo-Norman is the name usually given to the kind of French brought over to England by the conquerors in 1066, then later exported to Wales, Scotland and Ireland. To begin with it shared with the medieval French of the mainland the majority of its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Later, as tends to happen when geographical or political barriers divide a language community, it began to develop characteristics of its own,
This is an online edition of An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary or a dictionary of “Old English”. The dictionary records the state of the English language as it was used between ca. 700-1100 AD by the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants of the British Isles.
This 50-minute National Archives podcast explores how records created before 1485 can be used to study medieval armies, campaigns and battles in Britain and France.
The British Library’s website hosts a section featuring more than 3,000 images extracted from significant manuscripts spanning the 8th to 15th centuries. Many of these images are linked to specific locations or regions throughout the British Isles. The section includes a curator introduction and personal highlights from the collection, showcasing notable pieces like “The Meeting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere” and “The Opening of St Luke’s Gospel” in the Lindisfarne Gospels. Each manuscript is accompanied by a brief introduction and is accessible as a zoomable Flash file as well as a printable image. Additionally, the collection can be searched for specific items of interest.
A popular introductory Web guide to Medieval History from ThoughtCo. Features a series of brief articles on related topics as well as a few recommended websites.
This site contains all of the biographical, constituency and introductory survey articles published in The History of Parliament series.
Full text of many of the volumes available on British History Online
This BBC website includes an overview of Anglo-Scottish conflict plus detailed biographies of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. It also discusses the Declaration of Arbroath, the most famous document in Scottish history.
Publishes editions of the pipe rolls of the Exchequer and related medieval documents.
This audio-episode deals with the Peasants’ Revolt that began in the Essex village of Fobbing in May 1381. Supported by men from nearby villages, the rebellion had begun.
Western Europe and its encounters with the larger medieval world in the early and central middle ages. Website includes documents and other resources.
This website offers a wealth of information about various aspects of medieval life in Britain. It covers diverse topics such as myths and legends, religion, and medicine during the Middle Ages. The main sections of the site are Ballads, Beasties, Book of Days, God and War, and Heraldry. Additional sections feature a travelogue through northern England and southern Scotland, a download area for desktop wallpaper, backgrounds, letters, avatars, and a list of books suitable for all ages. The Ballads section provides synopses of historical ballads, while the “Book of Days” explores holy days and celebrations throughout the months. Each section typically includes an introductory overview of its topic. Although the website lacks extensive interactivity, it serves as an informative and captivating introduction to medieval life in Britain.
The official website of the Louvre provides virtual tours of numerous galleries and exhibitions, showcasing its impressive collection of 35,000 works of art. One noteworthy feature is the “Thematic Trails: Decorative Arts in the Middle Ages” section, which highlights plaques and statuettes from the reign of Charlemagne, as well as ivory and paten from Constantinople, among other fascinating objects. The website also offers a detailed history of the museum, including a virtual tour with a special emphasis on the Middle Ages. The objects themselves can be accessed through a list of individual collections, each accompanied by selected works, the collection’s history, and information about the galleries. Additionally, the site features the Louvre Atlas search engine, enabling users to locate any of the approximately 35,000 works of art exhibited in the museum.
The Periodical Atlas of Europe features 21 online maps showing the countries of Europe at the end of each century from year 1 to year 2000. Also includes a few images of historical sites.
This study/book has been produced with the assistance of the database Czech Medieval Sources online, provided by the LINDAT/CLARIAH-CZ Research Infrastructure (https://lindat.cz), supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic (Project No. LM2018101).
Chronicon is an free online journal of medieval history, with a focus on Irish history, published by the History Department at Ireland’s University College, Cork. There are online volumes from 1997 to 2008 in PDF format.
A large corpus of medieval Norman charters dating from the 10th to the 13th Century.
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Free online resource from Columbia University. Collection of medieval Latin letters to and from women, with English translation. C4th to C13th.
A Compilation of Published Sources from 600 to 1535 from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
From Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
MIRABILE is a knowledge management system for the study and research on medieval culture promoted by the International Society for the Study of the Latin Middle Ages and by the Ezio Franceschini Foundation of Florence, in collaboration with other entities:
Röhricht’s Regesta Revised is a growing calendar of all the charters, other legal or formal documents and letters that were composed between 1098 and 1291 in the Latin kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Cilician Armenia, the principality of Antioch and the counties of Edessa and Tripoli, or were addressed to individuals in those settlements. It is based on Reinhold Röhricht’s Regesta regni Hierosolymitani 2 vols (Innsbruck, 1893-1904), the entries in which are signalled by the letters RRH. The revision has reached the year 1244 and will be continued to 1291, but new material is always coming to light and Röhricht’s Regesta Revised will be regularly up-dated. Suggestions for new entries or corrections are welcome.
Part of the Berkeley Digital Library, OMACL is an extensive collection of some of the most important literary works of Classical and Medieval civilization. Most of the texts date from the medieval European period. Among the genres represented are Arthurian works, epics, romances, chronicles, historical works; mythology , and other primary-source literature. You may search all of the texts in this collection or browse by Title, Author, Genre, or Language.
This website provides an overview of pilgrimages to special holy places called shrines.
Artwork for over 200,000 British editorial, socio-political, and pocket cartoons, supported by large collections of comic strips, newspaper cuttings, books and magazines.
The Unicorn Tapestries is a series of tapestries from 1495–1505 that depict a group of noblemen and hunters in pursuit of a unicorn. (They may have been commissioned by Anne of Brittany to celebrate her marriage to Charles VIII, King of France.) This web sites from the Metropolitan Museum of Art enables visitors to zoom in on the tapestries and provides the story of the hunt of the Unicorn. It also provides much information on various aspect of the tapestries.
Discover over a million images of rare books, manuscripts, and other treasures from the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford college libraries.
Records related to the Middle Ages, defined as the period between the 5th Century AD and the end of the 15th Century. Documents may have been produced in this time frame, or the may be related to that era (for example, the notes from historians studying events from that time)
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