The rest of the world is doing quite fine thank you. India and Asia. Slowly, thanks to Islamic, Jewish, and Christian scribes in Spain the Greek texts are rediscoved. Aristotle, Ptolemy etc are known again to the west. By the 15th century exploration of new trade routes via sea-going ships begins in earnest.
Money is made in new ways challenging the old power structure.
The Catholic Church's power begins to erode. People begin asking for a new way of worship. The Revolution begins. Printing Press invented 30 year before his birth. By 1473 nine million copies of 35,000 titles were in circulation.