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From roughly the year 1000 CE onward, Europe began to shift from the tumultous period of the early Middle Ages. Other than a brief invasion of the Mongols from Asia, much of the barbaric violence had ceased. People were settling into towns and cities, eventually leading to the development of national identities.
Christianity expanded its reach into the Baltic regions and the Finnic regions of northeast Europe forcing many more native peoples to assimilate to the European culture.
Slowly, Spain was regained from the Muslims and with it Catholic scholars now had access to classical works of art and philosophy, largely untouched over the last few centuries. This sparked a newfound interest in the works of classical thinkers, such as Aristotle. Travel between regions was far less dangerous, encouraging trade that had nearly vanished during the early Middle Ages, and economic growth steadily increased. This period saw the founding of the Hanseatic league, as well as other trading and banking institutions across Europe.
After about 1080, large urban populations evolved into cities, and with them came the first universities. Many of these schools first served to train clergy, but later became places of learning for many outside the church as well. Literacy flourished, and with it came great strides in art, literature, sculpture, music, and architecture.
Large cities began erecting large sprawling cathedrals, vast monuments devoted to Christianity. At first these building were constructed in a romanized style, but later developed into the beautiful Gothic structures symbolizing the Middle Ages itself.
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