Live in Medieval Towns, How does a medieval city work? Medieval City

The Growth of Medieval Towns [00:00]

• Most people lived in the countryside during the early Middle Ages, but by the 12th century, towns began to grow around castles, monasteries, and trade routes.
• These towns became centers of trade and industry, protected by thick stone walls, with visitors entering through gates.
• Streets were often narrow, unpaved, and crowded with people, animals, and carts, leading to unpleasant smells due to a lack of garbage collection.
• Ancient town life, particularly in Greece and Rome, was well-established, but declined after the fall of the Roman Empire before reviving in the High Middle Ages.
• Improvements in agriculture, leading to crop surpluses, and the revival of trade, with port towns like Venice and Genoa acting as key trading centers, fueled this urban growth.
• Many towns developed along waterways, and as merchants became permanent residents, towns grew in population and wealth, with some specializing in specific goods like wool cloth or glass.
• Towns initially part of feudal lords' domains began to seek independence, sometimes through peaceful means like purchasing royal charters, granting them self-governance.

"The second stories of houses jetted out blocking the sunlight from reaching the street."

Trade and Commerce [05:13]

• Medieval towns were initially centers for trade but evolved into places where many goods were produced, overseen by guilds.
• Merchant guilds and craft guilds regulated various trades, ensuring quality, controlling work hours, setting prices, and punishing members who cheated customers.
• Guild members paid dues that funded guild halls, fairs, festivals, and provided support for sick members and their families.
• Becoming a guild member involved a rigorous process starting with an apprenticeship around age 12, followed by training as a journeyman, and finally proving mastery through a "masterpiece" to become a master craftsman.
• By the High Middle Ages, trade expanded beyond luxury goods to include everyday necessities like food and clothing, as well as specialized products from different towns.
• Marketplaces were central to towns for local goods, while large merchant fairs attracted traders from many countries, offering goods from across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
• Merchants grew in power and wealth, often dominating the business life of towns and holding positions on town councils or as mayors.
• Prejudice against Jews in Christian Europe made it difficult for them to earn a living, as they were often forbidden from owning land and subject to arbitrary seizure of property.
• Jews frequently became bankers and money lenders, a role forbidden to Christians by the Church, providing an essential economic service despite facing abuse and discrimination.

"The word Journeymen does not refer to a journey; it comes from the French word 'journee' for day; a journeyman was a craftsperson who found work by the day."

Homes and Households [10:01]

• Medieval towns were typically small and crowded, with most houses built of wood, often up to four stories high and leaning into the street.
• Housing differed significantly between the rich and poor; poorer neighborhoods might see several families sharing a single house or room, while wealthy merchants had spacious homes.
• Wealthy merchant homes often featured a business on the first level, living quarters with a communal gathering space on the second, and accommodation for servants and apprentices on upper levels.
• Even for the wealthy, homes were generally cold, smoky, and dim, with fireplaces as the primary source of heat and light, and small windows covered with oiled parchment.
• Children faced high mortality rates, with about half dying before adulthood, and began preparing for adult roles around age seven, with some attending school and others starting as apprentices.
• Most boys followed their fathers' trades, while girls learned domestic skills or married young, typically around age 15.

"As wooden houses aged, they tended to lean; sometimes two two-facing houses would lean so much they touched across the street."

Disease and Medical Treatment [12:30]

• Unhealthy living conditions in medieval towns, including a lack of running water, outdoor privies, and garbage tossed into streams, led to the widespread of diseases.
• Overcrowding, infrequent bathing, and the prevalence of rats and fleas contributed to people being frequently ill.
• Many common illnesses, such as measles, chickenpox, smallpox, and scarlet fever, had no cures, and the feared Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, was devastating.
• The lack of understanding about disease transmission led to scapegoating, with Jewish communities often falsely accused of poisoning wells after outbreaks.
• While hospitals existed, they were few, and most people were treated at home by family members or doctors.
• Medieval medical treatments combined prayer with remedies using herbs, some based on ancient knowledge, others on less scientific methods like consulting planetary positions or using magic charms.
• Bloodletting, by opening veins or using leeches, was a common practice believed to restore balance to the body, though it often weakened patients.

"Unfortunately, such treatments often weakened a patient."

Crime and Punishment & Leisure and Entertainment [00:00]

• Most medieval towns were protected by thick stone walls, and visitors entered through gates.
• Inside, homes and businesses lined unpaved streets, and signs with colorful pictures hung over doorways as few people could read.
• Open squares in front of public buildings served as gathering places.
• Streets and squares were crowded with people, horses, carts, and animals like cats, dogs, geese, and chickens.
• There was no garbage collection, and residents threw waste into canals, ditches, or out of windows, contributing to unpleasant smells.
• Medieval towns were filled with unpleasant smells and were generally dirty places.
• Visitors entered through gates and homes and businesses lined unpaved streets.
• Signs with colorful pictures hung over doorways of shops and businesses.
• Open squares in front of public buildings served as gathering places.
• Streets were very narrow, and the second stories of houses jetted out blocking sunlight.
• Squares and streets were crowded with people, horses, carts, and animals.
• Residents threw garbage into canals, ditches, or out the window.
• Most medieval towns were filled with unpleasant smells.

"As you can imagine, most medieval towns were filled with unpleasant smells."