Sixteenth century

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= Key to entries =

Items in normal text indicate South African non-theatrical events and activities Items printed in bold indicate South African theatre and performance events. All items in italics refer to international (i.e. non-South African) events or international theatre and performance events

= Entries =

±1500AD
The commedia dell’arte begins to flourish in Italy, travels through Europe. Formal theatres begin to evolve in Europe and England. DEVELOPMENT OF THE NGUNI CHIEFDOMS (XHOSA AND ZULU). GROWING TRADE BRINGS REGULAR VISITS BY PORTUGUESE SAILORS AND SKIRMISHES AND TRADE WITH KHOI-KHOI. ALSO ENGLISH SHIPS. FINALLY ALSO DUTCH MERCHANTS.

1502AD
Sophocles’s Plays published in Italy.

±1503-5AD
''Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Euripides’s Plays published in Italy''.

1504AD
Michaelangelo’s David.

1505AD
Dürer’s Feast of the Rose Garlands.

1508AD
Michaelangelo begins the Sistine Chapel. 'Lodovico Ariosto’s La Cassaria staged at the court of Ferrara. First known use of perspective settings on stage'.

1509AD
''Erasmus’s In Praise of Folly. Henry VIII king of England''.

1510AD
PORTUGUESE VICEROY ALEIMDA KILLED BY KHOIKHOI IN TABLE BAY.

1512AD
Michaelangelo finishes the Sistine Chapel.

1513AD
''Machiavelli writes The Prince. Raphael’s Sistine Madonna''. Machiavelli’s La Mandragola staged in Florence.

1515AD
Trissino’s Sofonobista, first important Italian tragedy

1517AD
Luther posts his 95Theses in Wittenberg.

1518AD
Aeschylus’s Plays published in Italy

1520AD
Suleyman the Magnificent begins his 46 year reign in Persia.

1521AD
Cortes conquers Tenochtitlán and subdues the Aztecs.

1522AD
''Luther’s New Testament, Magellan’s ships circumnavigate the world. The Persian miniature painter Bizhad heads the Safavid library''.

1525AD
Spanish conquer Guatamala.

1526AD
Babur conquers the Delhi sultinate, founds the Mughal empire in India.

1532AD
Rabelais’s Gargantua and Pantagruel, Pisarro attacks the Inca empire, executes Atahuallpa.

1534AD
Act of Supremacy makes Henry VIII head of Church of England.

1535AD
''Holbein’s The Ambassadors. Special trading rights with Persia granted to France by Suleyman the Great. Mexico becomes New Spain by decree of Charles V''.

1536AD
Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion.

1540AD
Society of Jesus (Jesuits) formed.

1541AD
''Cinthio’s revenge-tragedy Orbecche performed in Italian. Yucatán conquered by the Spanish, and Mayan empire is destroyed''.

1542AD
''Congregation of the Inquisition is formed in Rome. Peru annexed by Charles V''.

1543AD
Copernicus’s Revolutions of the Celestial Orbs ( a work on the solar system).

1545AD
'Hôtel de Bourgogne opened in Paris. In Italy Serlio’s Archtettura contains a chapter on how to design and build stage settings, including notes on perspective in stage scenery'.

1558AD
Elizabeth I crowned in England.

1568AD
Breughel’s The Blind leading the Blind.

1569AD
Mercator’s map of the world, including his famous projection.

1572AD
Luís de Camões’s The Lusiads completed.

1573AD
Tasso’s Italian pastoral Amita performed.

1576AD
The Theatre opened in England

1579AD
Corral de la Cruz opens in Madrid

1580AD
Montaigne’s Essays. SIR FRANCIS DRAKE SAILS AROUND THE WORLD, LANDING AT THE CAPE.

1585AD
Teatro Olimpico opens at the Olympic Academy in Vicenza.

1586AD
El Greco’s The Burial of Count Orgaz

1587AD
Marlowe’s Tamburlaine

1588AD
Spanish Armada defeated by England

±1590
Guarini’s Italian pastoral The Faithful Shepherd performed.

±1594-6
Shakespeare writes Romeo and Juliet & A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

±1597AD
Opera as a distinct form evolved by the Camerata Academy in Florence. DUTCH AND ENGLISH SHIPS BEGIN VISITING THE CAPE REGULARLY, TO TRADE WITH THE KHOI-KHOI.

1598AD
Edict of Nantes recognizes Huguenots in France

1599AD
'Globe theatre opened in London. Shakespeare a partner'

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