The world in
What happened in 1537?
8 events across 4 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Outbreak of the Protestant Reformation
In 1517, the Protestant Reformation broke out in Western Christianity. Initiated by theologians like Martin Luther, the movement posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and Catholic authority, seeking to return to the roots of Christianity. It marked the beginning of Protestantism, the end of the Middle Ages, and the start of the early modern period.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of Sacro Monte di Ossuccio
The Sacro Monte di Ossuccio is one of the nine Sacri Monti in Piedmont and Lombardy, northern Italy, located in Ossuccio, province of Como. It was founded around the 16th century and later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Foundation of Castel Sant'Elmo
Castel Sant'Elmo, a medieval fortress on Vomero Hill in Naples, was founded, taking its name from a 10th-century church of Sant'Erasmo. It later served as a key fortification overlooking the city and is now a museum.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Outbreak of the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1532–1555
In 1532, a new war broke out between the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, and the Safavid Empire, ruled by Tahmasp I. It was one of many conflicts between the two arch-rivals. After years of fighting, the Ottoman Empire confirmed its territorial gains in the Peace of Amasya.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Building of the Damascus Gate
In 1537, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered the construction of the Damascus Gate, a major entrance in the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. Located on the northwest side, it connected to a highway leading to Nablus. The gate was a reconstruction of an earlier fortification passage, and its site preserves the memory of a 2nd-century Roman column, giving rise to its Arabic name 'Gate of the Column'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Opening of the Dung Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Walls
Around the 16th century, the Ottomans opened a small postern gate in the southern wall of Jerusalem's Old City. The gate, later known as the Dung Gate, provided a passage toward the southwestern side of the Temple Mount.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ethiopian–Adal War
From 1529 to 1543, the Christian Ethiopian Empire fought the Muslim Adal Sultanate. Ethiopian forces were drawn from northern highland regions, while Adal's army included Harla, Somali, Afar, and Ottoman-backed gunmen. Portugal later sent musketeers to support Ethiopia. The war ended in a costly Ethiopian victory, weakening the empire and enabling the massive migration of Oromo people into the region.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Founding of Santa Cruz de Mompós
On May 3, 1537, Santa Cruz de Mompós was founded on the banks of the Magdalena River in the present-day Bolívar Department of northern Colombia. The town's location near the river facilitated its growth, and it later preserved its colonial character while playing a role in Latin America's independence movements. Its historic center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Around 1537
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Columbian Exchange
- Beginning of the Renaissance
- Construction of the Badaling Section of the Great Wall
- Formation of the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests
- Founding of Varlaam Monastery
- Completion of the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge
- Construction of Villa d'Este begins
- Construction of the Wooden Churches of the Slovak Carpathians