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The 1530s: 1530–1539
1530–1539 · worldwide, all places
Moving through time
Henry VIII declared himself head of the English church in 1534 to get his divorce, closed the smaller monasteries, and executed Anne Boleyn in 1536. In Peru, Pizarro strangled Atahualpa in 1533 and seized Cuzco, shipping Andean silver toward Spain.
The 1534 Act of Supremacy made every English subject choose between king and pope. Bring Up the Bodies ends with Anne Boleyn's execution in 1536, and Rabelais's Gargantua, published from 1532, mocked monks and scholars from a France that persecuted Protestants while England broke with Rome. Open the 1530s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
A smaller shelf: only 7 stories in the catalogue are tagged to the 1530s so far — every one of them worth the visit.
7 famous stories set in the 1530s
Live snapshot of the top 7 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-05). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 6 books and 1 movie set in the 1530s (1530–1539).

Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 Vols
Institutes of the Christian Religion This limited edition of John Calvin's Reformation classic, "Institutes of the Christian Religion," commemorates the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth in 1509.This beautiful new…

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII
No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues…

The Prince and the Pauper
In the London of 1537 two boys resembling each other exactly meet accidentally and exchange "roles" for a short while. After many adventures the prince regains his rightful identity and graciously makes his "twin" a…

Wolf Hall / Bring Up the Bodies
A two-ebook edition of Hilary Mantel' s bestselling novels: Wolf Hall, winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009, and Bring Up the Bodies, winner of the Man Booker Prize 2012.Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the first two…

Gargantua and Pantagruel
The dazzling and exuberant moral stories of Rabelais (c.1471-1553) expose human follies with their mischievous and often obscene humour, while intertwining the realistic with carnivalesque fantasy to make us look afresh…

The Wise Woman
Alys joins a nunnery to escape the poverty of her life on the moor with her foster mother, Morach, the local wise woman with whom she lives as an outcast, but she soon finds herself thrown back into the world when Henry…

Gargantua
As a companion volume to Pantagruel, this new edition of Gargantua continues Rabelais’ acclaimed fantasy of a mythical family of giants. Gargantua introduces Pantagruel’s father—another wondrous giant. As he tells…
The 7 stories above are just a sample of the 7 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1530–1539 catalogue, use the button above — or browse the whole 16th century. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
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1520s · 16th century · Time hub · All places · 1540s
