The 11th Century
Explore the 11th century - an age of reform, schism, and crusade. Gregory VII battled emperors for Church freedom, East and West divided in 1054, and the First Crusade captured Jerusalem. The medieval papacy reached new heights of power and ambition.
Reform, Schismand Crusade
The 11th century transformed the medieval Church. The Gregorian Reform, named for Pope Gregory VII, sought to free the Church from lay control. Gregory's clash with Emperor Henry IV over investiture culminated at Canossa in 1077, when the emperor stood barefoot in the snow seeking absolution.
In 1054, centuries of tension between Rome and Constantinople culminated in the Great Schism. Papal legates excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, and he responded in kind. Though few recognised it at the time, the division between Catholic West and Orthodox East would prove permanent.
The century closed with the First Crusade. In 1095, Pope Urban II called Christian knights to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Four years later, crusaders captured the Holy City. The Crusades would shape Christian-Muslim relations for centuries, but also brought pilgrimage, trade, and cultural exchange.
At a Glance
“I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile.”
Pope Gregory VII
His final words, 1085
A Church Transformed
The 11th century saw the papacy claim unprecedented authority over both spiritual and temporal affairs. The Church that emerged was more centralised, more militant, and more confident than ever before.