Concetti Chiave
- Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, declaring himself the head of the Church of England after the Pope refused his divorce request.
- Mary I, known as "Bloody Mary," aimed to restore Catholicism in England and was notorious for persecuting Protestants.
- Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII's daughter with Anne Boleyn, became a significant Renaissance monarch, promoting harmony between Catholics and Protestants.
- Under Elizabeth I's reign, the English navy successfully defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, enhancing England's naval supremacy.
- Elizabeth I's era saw the flourishing of literature, with figures like William Shakespeare emerging during her prosperous reign.
During her reign the Protestant Church secured its position. To this end, the queen managed to keep Catholics and protestants in harmony.
In 1588 King Philip II of Spain sent a fleet of 130 ships, the Invincibile Armada, to envade England. The English fleet, though inferior in number, attacked the armada and, favoured by the wind, damaged the whole Spanish fleet. Only fifty-three vessels retourned to Spain. Both before and after the Armada, Elizabeth encouraged English sailors, like Francis Drake and Walter Releigh to attack and destroy Spanish ships bringing treasures from the new continent. In her long reign, Elizabeth showed herself to be an able queen. She was a real Renaissance monarch. The nation prospered in all directions. Literature flourished and produced its greatest genius, William Shakespeare.
Elizabeth I died in 1603. As she never married she had no children.
Riassunto
Henry VIII as a young king had defended the Church against Martin Luther’s attack, and the Pope had given him the title of defender of the Faith.
Before the end of his reign, however, Henry had become the bitter enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. When the Pope refused to give his permission to divorce Catherine of Aragon, Henry made himself head of the Protestant Church of England.
Domande da interrogazione
- Chi era Enrico VIII e quali furono le sue azioni principali durante il suo regno?
- Perché Maria I era conosciuta come "Bloody Mary"?
- Quali furono i successi principali del regno di Elisabetta I?
- Come cambiò il rapporto di Enrico VIII con la Chiesa cattolica durante il suo regno?
Enrico VIII era un monarca affascinante, musicista e scrittore. Durante il suo regno, si separò dalla Chiesa di Roma, dichiarandosi capo della Chiesa d'Inghilterra, chiuse monasteri e confiscò proprietà ecclesiastiche.
Maria I era conosciuta come "Bloody Mary" perché perseguitò e condannò a morte centinaia di martiri protestanti nel tentativo di restaurare il cattolicesimo in Inghilterra.
Durante il regno di Elisabetta I, la Chiesa protestante si consolidò, l'Inghilterra sconfisse l'Invincibile Armada spagnola, e la nazione prosperò, con un fiorire della letteratura che produsse geni come William Shakespeare.
Inizialmente, Enrico VIII difese la Chiesa contro Martin Lutero, ma divenne nemico della Chiesa cattolica quando il Papa rifiutò di annullare il suo matrimonio con Caterina d'Aragona, portandolo a fondare la Chiesa d'Inghilterra.