Modern Misconception. Most people assume that medieval Europeans had little knowledge of the world outside the boundaries of their homes. That was not the case. From the onset of the Middle Ages, Europeans of all classes and educations were interested in the world beyond their own specific locales. They knew about Byzantium and Russia, considered taking pilgrimages to Italy, Spain, and the Holy Land, pondered the religious problems of the Middle East, and dreamed of and often enjoyed the riches of the Indies and China. Only the most ignorant did not know that the earth was round, although most thought that it was much smaller than Ferdinand Magellan and his crew would prove it to be in 1519-1522. Of course, the center-point of this earthly globe was Jerusalem, but that came from a religious rationale.

Curiosity. Despite this interest in the world outside of their own neighborhoods, only...