1570s1580s
The 1570s and 1580s were a period of significant transition in the early modern world. In Europe the Counter‑Reformation continued to reshape religious life following the Council of Trent (1545‑1563). The Catholic Church intensified its reforms, with the Jesuit order founded in 1540 gaining prominence. Protestant communities faced persecution in many states, yet in some northern regions such as the Dutch Republic the Reformation fostered a flowering of religious tolerance.
Italian Renaissance culture intensified, with artists such as Titian, Annibale Carracci, and later the early stages
In the New World, Spanish explorers and colonial administrators expanded Spanish presence through the Pacific Theatre.
In the broader Atlantic world the 1570s and 1580s saw heightened maritime exploration. The arrival of James