The witch hunts were not a medieval phenomenon.
Their fiercest phase ran from 1560 to 1630 – the middle of the Renaissance and early modern era, alongside printing and the rise of science. Estimates put the total at 40,000 to 60,000 executions, around 80 percent of them women. In the 14th century the concept of demonic witchcraft did not yet exist.
Useful: Never place an era by its reputation; place it by its dates.
Source: en.wikipedia.org