Medieval Towns and Urban Life

Known trading centers c. 800 CE and Medieval Trade Network c.1300

Medieval Galleys

Medieval Ship Types in the North Atlantic: longships and round ships (knarrs and cogs)

Medieval cogs (late 13th century)

• “To illustrate the quickly increasing size of the ships we can look at the Hanseatic notes in the Lübecker Zollrolle of 1227. The ships were divided in three classes:

• Under 5 lasten (under 10 tons) • 5-12 lasten (10-24 tons) • More than 12 lasten (more than 24

tons) • In a similar document from 1358 there

were two classes:• Under 60 lasten (- 120 tons) • More than 60 lasten (120 tons)”

• From website by Per Åkesson, January 1999 • www.abc.se/~pa/mar/cog.htm• Dudszus, Henriot, Krumley : Das grosse Buch der

Schiffstypen, Transpress VEB Verlag, Berlin 1987,

Naos and Carracks (15th and early 16th Centuries)

• A carrack or nao was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in the Mediterranean in the fifteenth century.

• Characteristics:– high rounded stern with an

aftercastle and a forecastle;

– a bowsprit at the stem; – square-rigging on the

foremast and mainmast; and lateen-rigging on the mizzenmast.

Flemish wool merchants purchasing wool in England

Medieval merchants

Fairs of ChampagneAn annual cycle of six fairs in the county of Champagne in the second half of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries linked the textile producing cities of Flanders in the north with dyeing and export centers in northern Italy.

Fairs were held sequentially (each beginning on a religious holiday) at Lagny-sur-Marne, Bar-sur-Aube, Provins, and Troyes. Each lasted six or more weeks. Specific days were allocated to the sale of cloth, leather, and spices. The last four days were reserved for the settling of accounts.

The fairs of Champagne generated wealth for the counts. It made possible Count Philip of Champagne’s chivalric court and his patronage for tournaments and troubadour such as Chretien de Troyes in the second half of the twelfth century

Lendit Fair (near Paris)

Bishop presiding over opening of Lendit fair (mid 15th century)

Stalls at the Lendit Fair (late 14th century)

Medieval Market

Medieval York: the “Shambles” today and in viking times

Growth of towns and cities in the Midddle Ages

from NJG Pounds. An Economic History of Medieval Europe (Longman, 1974)

Left: San Marco piazza in Venice/ Right: Brussels town square with guild buildings

Medieval Cities in Northern Europe and Italy

Ghent (Belgium)San Gimignano, north central Italy: 13th century family towers, reflecting political conflict betwee Guelf and Ghibelline between patriciate families

Nuremberg, c.1500