Environmental World History Questions
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MedievalTownsI.pptxMedieval Towns I
revival of trade & birth of towns
in the 11th/12th centuries, Europe experienced a revival of trade (a result of: greater political stability, expanding agricultural production, growth of a money supply & increased population)
western Europe provided a market for Eastern goods (such as silks, sugar, spices & dyes)
commercial activity ultimately surpassed that during the Pax Romana of the 1st & 2nd centuries AD
a class of traders emerged; many of them former serfs
the rebirth of towns
in the 11th century, towns emerged anew in Europe & became active centers of commercial & intellectual life
the class of traders or merchants and craftspeople became a sort of new “middle class” – a new type of individual, not associated with the land, like lords & serfs, and not with the church, like the clergy
towns emerged in places strategic for trade… they also developed near castles or on old Roman sites
bourgeoisie = “middle class”
bourg (French), borough (English), burg (German)
medieval towns
medieval towns were often fortified
towns with the names -burg & -borough usually centered on a fortification
towns whose names ended in –berg formed around a hill or a mountain
-ville or –villa usually developed around an old Roman site
in 1100, the largest towns = ca. 10,000 inhabitants
by 1200, the larger towns had populations of as much as 50,000
these towns generally covered small areas; crowded with people
narrow & crooked streets; often strewn with refuse
unsanitary conditions
Germany: Rothenburg
Bootham Bar, York, England
the Shambles: York
Shambles, York
York is still dominated by its gothic cathedral, York Minster
York market: a market has operated on this site for over one thousand years
Rouen, still dominated by its cathedral
Le Gros Horloge, Rouen
Le Gros Horloge, Rouen
Le Gros Horloge, Rouen
Rouen, France
Rouen, France
Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Caen Castle, France
Caen Castle, France
Carcassonne, southern France: the medieval walls date to at least the 13th century
Carcassonne, France
town government & burgher rights
townspeople obtained charters, which established their independence
towns became communes: burghers took an oath binding themselves to mutual protection & assistance
Towns were legal entities that could own property (such as markets in front of cathedrals, streets, walls, and bridges)
charters included details about rights to commerce and trade, and generally controlled barriers
Marketplace was at the heart of the town
Market for cattle and other animals on the edge of town
Town houses incorporated workshops, and rooms where customers could inspect goods and make their purchases, but there were also premises given over entirely to commercial use
Market stalls could command lucrative rents
Food and drink industry employed more people than any other trade
Towns had many different manufacturing trades
Wool/cloth industry very important, especially in England and the Low Countries
Tanners worked with raw hides to turn them into leather
Metalworkers turned raw material from the countryside into implements, tools, weapons, nails and horseshoes
Merchants were an important part of the town’s economy
Vibrant trade with the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea in spices, silks, cotton and other goods
guild: association of individuals for common social, economic and religious reasons
merchants & craftspeople organized themselves into guilds
roots lie in Germanic culture – the confraternity
town guilds likely evolved from these social-religious groups in the countryside – the need for support in a new place
town guilds soon develop an economic focus
guilds also performed social and religious functions
guilds effectively prevented outsiders from doing much business in a medieval town
medieval guilds
end of the 12th c.: guilds began regulating quality, charged entry fees, created rules, maintained property
competition between members of the same guild was discouraged
guilds required their members to work the same number of hours, pay employees the same wages, produce goods of equal quality & charge customers a fair price
guilds had stages for tradesmen, beginning with the apprentice
guilds were also represented in town councils
women
women were active members of medieval towns
in many towns, women were admitted to the guilds
guildswomen could often have many of the same privileges of a master
only around 23% of extant burgher wills designated their wife as the principal heir
guildhall of the Merchant Adventurers, York. Built 1357
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York
Interior of the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
largest surviving timber-framed building in the UK which is still used for its original purpose
church and the town
in nearly every city, the church was the largest property owner
the church frowned on the pursuit of wealth
merchants & craftsmen often bequeathed money and property to the church
These bequests helped finance hospitals and schools
15th c. building in the city of York
medieval town houses: Barley Hall, York
medieval town houses: Barley Hall, York
Barley Hall
Barley Hall
Medieval town houses, York
15th century timbered building, Battle, England
Half-timbered building, Ely, England
View of York Minster from the interior of a late medieval timber-framed building
money and coinage
money in the format of metal coins was essential to town commerce
kings, lords, and even ecclesiastical orders issued coinage
coins’ value varied according to silver content
the basic silver coin was the denarius, or the silver penny (d.)
in time kings controlled the minting of coins
silver penny from the reign of Edward I of England
1272 - 1307
trading commodities
animal skins, furs, wool, linen, silk
the Low Countries & the British Isles dominated the wool and cloth trade
the textile trade extended all the way to Byzantium and the Islamic regions of the east
other products included: wood, cheese, weapons, horses, and slaves
Rouen, France
