This document provides an overview of European history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance period. It discusses the crises of the Middle Ages, including the Black Death pandemic and challenges to the Catholic Church. New forms of art and literature emerged in this period, as well as the growth of towns, commerce and national monarchies. The document then covers the Renaissance in Europe, including the birth of humanism and influential artists like da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. It concludes with an introduction to the Age of Exploration, noting Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the 15th-16th centuries.