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In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Growth of the Medieval Towns of Europe 2. Contribution of the Medieval Towns of Europe.

Growth of the Medieval Towns of Europe:

After the lapse of several centuries since the break-up of the Roman empire, the eleventh was the first to witness positive signs of economic recovery in Western Europe.

We hear of enhanced commercial activities, of new com­mercial settlements along highways and water-routes, of draining of vast swamps and projected expansion in agriculture and all that, in the eleventh century.

Complete your map using the instructions on the 'Medieval Europe Map Instructions' page. (not attached). Use the 'Europe in the Early Middle Ages' article to. The history of Europe is breathtakingly complex, but this two minute video helps makes sense of 2400 years.

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The history of the cities during the first ten centuries of the Christian era is obscure. The old Gallic and Roman towns suffered much during the barbarian invasions. But as the barbarians began to settle clown to quieter life, the towns and cities began to assume their former importance and activities.

During and after the barbarian inva­sions the control of the towns and cities lost their municipal form of government and passed into the hands of bishops or nobles, or sometimes control was divided between bishops and nobles.

It was Charles the Great who introduced some uniformity into the government of the cities by placing each of these under an officer with the title of Count. These counts were either churchmen or laymen, and were responsible for their government to Charles. They ruled the cities in the name of the emperor. But after the dismemberment of the empire when feu­dalism was established, these counts assumed a feudal proprietorship over these cities.

Throughout the twelfth century towns and cities steadily grew in increasing numbers and were of diverse origin, and varied greatly in legal status, size and importance; each different from the other yet all had some family resemblance. The violence of the times, specially the invasions of the Huns and Norsemen, compelled people to live together in walled enclosures, and these in course of time became cities.

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Growth of trade and commerce also encouraged establishment of towns and cities. Towns on trade-routes by land and water grew up in this way. Inside the towns everything was crammed into their narrow space surrounded by walls and closely guarded gates.

Churches, chapels, monasteries, counting houses, town halls, guild and fraternity houses, dwelling houses of the leading citizens of the towns, schools, colleges and universities were all to be found in eminent towns and cities.

The most noteworthy characteristics of the town life were the organisations of people of common interests into guilds. The chief land-owners and traders formed the merchants’ guild while the manufacturers of the same article or commodity would form into separate guilds of their own, called craft guilds. Weavers’ guild, spinners’ guild, shoe­makers’ guild, millers’ guild, carpenters’ guild, bakers’ guild, etc., were the illustrations of craft guilds.

It may be noted that cities of different parts of Europe had different causes behind their growth. The Italian cities had the advantage of taking share in the trade that passed through the Mediterranean between the European and the Asiatic continents.

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Acquisition of wealth led to the acquisition of power. The main causes of the growth and development of the Italian towns were their trade with the East and the fillip that it received as a result of the crusades.

Towns also grew up once the itinerant traders settled down in one or other place and became merchants. Walled episcopal centres and monasteries also served as nucleus of towns. With the coming of wealth came power and the chief Italian towns became self-governing states with only a seeming dependence upon the pope or the emperor.

In the course of time some of the more important cities became entirely independent Italian towns republics. There was also a competition among the large and the small cities. For instance, the comparatively small cities of Amalfi, Siena and a dozen other towns were laid low by cities like Venice, Milan, Florence, Genoa, etc.

France had her cities and St. Louis’ grandiose settlement in Provence, Aigues-Mertes, towns of Champagne which were proudest in Europe during the twelfth century, but lost their importance. They attracted no trade or commerce. In many of them grass grew again and they reverted to their former agricultural states. In France not a single city became independent republic.

French cities did not even succeed in ridding themselves entirely of the feudal lords. After much struggle the cities acquired some measure of liberties and in many cases liberties were purchased on payment to the lords.

The cities of France may be divided into three categories according to the measure of liberties they succeeded in acquiring. In the first category were the cities called villes de bourgeosie besides personal liberties of the citizens some remission of feudal dues was allowed.

The second category called the consular cities acquired all rights of administration except the administration of justice. The courts remained in the hands of the lords. The consuls were respon­sible to the lords for the administration of the cities. The institution of the consuls was, needless to point out, was an imitation of the Roman system.

The third category of cities were communes proper. The lords’ rights over the cities were recognized in two ways, namely, the city paid the lord certain tolls and taxes and could hear appeals from the cities but the lord was excluded from the admi­nistration of the cities. At the head of the adminis­tration was the mayor assisted by a council.

The violence in the communes and the mismanagement of their administration led to the destruction of the French communes and gradually the power of admi­nistration was assumed by the king. In Germany the traders and later in history with the coming of the Vikings, their Viking successors were itinerant traders.

The tendency of these traders to colonies one or the other place or to settle in some convenient places gave rise to many towns and cities. The Rhenish towns particularly acquir­ed eminence as towns and cities in the twelfth century.

The medieval English towns were small like most of their continental sisters, with population varying between one and six thousand. Only York and London were exceptions. The importance of the city of London would be noticed even in the Anglo- Saxon period.

The towns of medieval Europe differed radically from those of the near east, Arab world and also of Russia. These non-European towns and cities were often far more advanced than the European in technology, hygiene, industrialization and the general level of civilization. Between the ninth and the twelfth centuries even the Russian towns were superior to many towns of Northern Europe.

Everywhere in Europe the object of the towns and cities was freedom from serfdom and its annoying entanglements. The townsman wanted freedom of movement, freedom of trade, freedom to marry, freedom for his children to inherit his property without any interference from his lord.

The struggle for such liberties succeeded in a large measure and charters were granted guaranteeing privileges to the towns. The towns could offer shelter to anybody even the runaway slaves and serfs who after a period of continuous stay in the cities or towns would become free. Hence arose the fiction “city air makes man free”. If there were some fully independent towns as the republican cities of Italy, most towns never secured more than elementary urban liberties.

These towns were under the control of municipal magistrates; supreme judicial authority, powers of taxation, military command regularly remained with the lord or the suzerain. While the secular lords agreed more easily to the status of partial autonomy of the towns, the ecclesiastical lords were slow in coming to terms. In Northern Italy and along the Rhine the towns had to wrest privileges from their ecclesiastical lords through violence.

The towns had their problems of defending their liberties and for that purpose maintain militia, pay both for defence and administration by taxation. As it was well neigh impossible for any town to defend itself alone, there arose union of towns such as the Lombard League of North Italy, Spanish League, Rhenish League, Swabian League, and the Hanseatic League.

In the autonomous towns the representatives of the different guilds in which the population was organised carried on the adminis­tration. No foreigner was allowed to trade in the town without becoming a member of any guild.

Equality of status was the chief characteristic of the guilds and hence of the towns. All had to serve for the defence of the country and pay for it. This was necessary clue to the smallness of the population of the town.

Contributions of the Medieval Towns of Europe:

The urban revolution in the eleventh and the twelfth centuries had far-reaching economic, social, political and cultural effects. The contributions of the medieval towns have to be discussed with reference to these diverse aspects.

(a) To the society the medieval towns introduced two new classes,

(i) The bourgeoisie of merchants, Introduction bankers, capitalists, industrialists, etc., and

(ii) The working classes of both skilled and unskilled labourers. With the introduction of these two classes the major part of the economic, social and even political history of the west was dominated by these two classes.

In the working classes of skilled and un­skilled labourers we see the beginning of the proletariat class of the future and in the bourgeoisie we the proletariat notice the beginnings of a new order, i.e. the thud class estate or the commons destined to play so important part in modern history.

The towns played an important part in under mining the feudal and manorial systems. Possession of land was no longer the only title to rank and status. Fortunes earned through industry and trade made the capitalists equally, if not more, important than the former.

The towns and the cities became haven of freedom for the serfs. Serfdom received its burial ground in towns where they were no longer bound by feudal ties and could sell their agricultural pro­duce in open market for money. Runaway serfs could get easy shelters in towns and cities where a continuous stay for ninety days would make them free citizens. From this practice emerged the fiction ‘city air makes man free’.

(b) In their political effects, the towns may be said to have contributed to the emergence of absolute national monarchy. The kings relied on the middle class, i.e. the bourgeoisie and drew the burghers with the Parliaments and States Generals or the Cortes.

In the bourgeoisie, i.e. the third estate the kings found a natural ally against the feudal anarchy and recalcitrance. The middle class paid for the maintenance of the standing army which freed the kings from dependence on feudal military services. Without the middle class the political development of the later Middle Ages and of the modern times is inconceivable.

(c) Economically the medieval towns may be regarded as a transitional structure bridging the medieval with the modern economic systems. Medieval towns and cities formed into independent economic units with their respective customs barriers. It worked as an intermediate stage between the natural economy of modern states and the medieval manor.

Mercantilism which began with the medie­val towns was one of the major economic weapons in the hands of the absolute monarchs of Europe. Medieval towns and cities were centres of indus­trial and commercial life and it was from the medie­val towns that the system of international exchange and traffic emerged, which forms one of the most characteristic features of modern European civilization.

(d) Culturally speaking, the development of towns and cities meant an acceleration of all the social processes of growth and change. New ideas followed the merchants and goods and travelled from town to town.

The moneyed burghers contributed liberally for the improvements of the towns and cities. With the growth of urban population new experiments in municipal life were undertaken to solve the problems that emerged. The wealth of the burghers, i.e. merchants, brought liberal patronage of arts, archi­tecture, painting, etc.

The ruined high-gabled houses, sculptured guild halls, artistic gateways, superb palaces, imposing cathedrals even today bear testimony to the fact that the medieval towns and cities were the foster home of culture. The urban life with all its amenities made life worth living and the luxury that came in the wake of wealth made monastic life or asceticism naturally monasticism less attractive.

Ancient originsLocated near the Welsh border on the River Wye, England’s has drawn worshippers since the end of the 7th Century. The present-day structure was rebuilt in the 1100s and is considered one of the UK’s finest examples of Norman cathedral architecture.But what makes this place of worship so unique is the fact that it’s managed to hold onto many of its ancient treasures throughout the centuries. The cathedral boasts the largest surviving chained library in the world. It also has one of the only surviving copies of the 1217 Magna Carta. Its most impressive artefact, however, is the: one of the oldest, largest and most curious medieval maps in the world. Mappa MundiMeaning ‘atlas’ or ‘sheet of the world’ in Latin, the Mappa Mundi is an incredibly detailed 1.59m-long by 1.34m-wide map depicting the history, geography and religious understanding of the known world from the point of view of 13th-Century European scholars.

The map was believed to be created around 1300 and features more than 500 ink drawings on a single sheet of calf skin, offering a fascinating glimpse into the mindset of the ancient Christian world.The map is listed on and described as ‘the only complete example of a large medieval world map intended for public display’. In many ways, it serves as a sort of visual encyclopaedia of the period, with drawings inspired by Biblical times through the Middle Ages. In addition to illustrating events marking the history of humankind and 420 cities and geographical features, the map shows plants, animals, birds and strange or unknown creatures, and people – all of which helps to shed light on what Christians both did and didn’t understand about humanity at the dawn of the Renaissance.

Map or art?In medieval times, there were hundreds of illustrated Mappa Mundi, but the one displayed at Hereford is the largest to have survived intact. At first glance, the world depicted in the Mappa Mundi is unfamiliar. That’s because, despite its traceable pilgrim and trade routes, scholars widely agree that it wasn’t intended as a geographic map.

The shapes of the seas and continents are different than other maps and mislabelled. Totem runner for sale. Instead, the map was meant to serve as a compendium of the world’s knowledge from a spiritual and earthly perspective.In keeping with how most 13th-Century European Christians viewed the universe, the Mappa Mundi places Jerusalem at its centre. Only three continents – Europe, Asia and parts of North Africa – represent the inhabited part of the known world. Europe and Asia’s labels are reversed. The Red Sea is depicted in red ink, oceans are green and rivers are blue. Asia and the East, where the sun rises and where medieval Christians looked for the second coming of Christ, is placed at the top.

Paris and Rome are among the largest cities depicted on the map, while Hereford is a tiny, indistinct dot that has nearly rubbed off the calf-skin sheet. Myths and legendsIn addition to illustrating people and places, the map also shows supernatural scenes from classical Greek and Roman mythology, Biblical tales and a collection of popular legends and stories. Imperial glory no cd.

Look near the Strait of Gibraltar and you’ll see the Columns of Hercules, which were thought to mark the end of the inhabited world. The earthly paradise of Eden is represented by a circular island at the eastern extreme of the world, near Asia. Some of the most important Old Testament stories, such as that of Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark and the Tower of Babel, are rendered on the top-right of the map.From Greek mythology, the Cretan labyrinth built by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur is shown, as is the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Separately, there are also references to the stories of Alexander the Great.Historian and cathedral librarian Rosemary Firman believes that the map was intended to be seen by pilgrims visiting the shrine of St Thomas Cantilupe, who was buried at Hereford Cathedral.

Since many pilgrims in the 13th and 14th Centuries would not have been able to read, the map could simply be enjoyed as an aesthetic piece of art by those who knew little of classical mythology and also as a kind of visual encyclopaedia for those who were more educated. Strange peoplesA collection of curious bestiaries, monstrous races and outlandish creatures from far-off lands also populate the Mappa Mundi. A ‘Blemmye’ – a war-like creature with no head, but with facial features in its chest, clutches a spear and shield in Africa.

Two ‘Sciapods’ (men with one large foot) are shown: one in India, and another on the southern edge of the circular map. And four cave-dwelling Troglodites are illustrated – one eating a snake.Many of these strange beasts are mentioned in ancient Roman texts, like Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. Today, many scholars, including medieval art historian Marcia Kupfer, think it’s unlikely that the map’s designers ever travelled to any of the places depicted on the Mappa Mundi. Instead, much like the depicted Biblical and mythological stories, Kupfer thinks it is more probable that these monstrous creatures were simply illustrations of popular stories passed down through the Middle Ages that, as she put it, “represented the wondrousness of God’s creation”. Biased perspectiveThe Hereford Mappa Mundi is undoubtedly based on a Christian and English perspective. Christ judges mankind from the apex of the piece, and a recent examination by University of Glasgow senior lecturer Debra Higgs Strickland reveals examples of anti-Semitism – which is rather unsurprising, considering the map was created around the era when Jews were expelled from England by King Edward in 1290.In a scene depicting the story of Exodus, four Jews are seen worshipping at an altar where the golden calf is shown as a demonic idol defecating.

The Jews are labelled ‘Judei’ in red lettering, and Strickland argues that the only Jewish figure whose face is clearly seen is a stereotypical caricature, with “particular significance assigned to exaggerated, elongated, broad or hooked noses and beards”. In another scene, Moses is illustrated receiving the Ten Commandments and is depicted with yellow horns.According to Strickland, the map presents a prejudiced view of non-Christians that was typical of the time and manifests in many other works of art in England and elsewhere, although to include such references on a map of the world was quite rare. Mysterious originsToday, the map’s makers remain unknown, yet it’s widely agreed that the work was created by a small team of designers as opposed to a single artist. Since the handwriting in the map is consistent, Firman and other scholars believe it was labelled by one scribe, while two or three artists may have drawn the illustrations.It’s also a mystery how the Mappa Mundi actually came to be at Hereford Cathedral (pictured). Some scholars believe it may have been created in Hereford, but small clues link it to Lincoln Cathedral in the East Midlands, where the map’s commissioner, Richard of Haldingham, is believed to have worked.

The city of Lincoln and its cathedral are also depicted in vivid detail on the map, while Hereford appears to have been added near the River Wye almost as an afterthought. Space and timeNew theories about Hereford’s map continue to develop and divide scholars and historians. Kupfer argues that there are two perspectives of the world rendered within the map: one showing a humanistic and mortal vision, and another showing a divine perspective.For centuries, scholars thought the map’s calligrapher had incorrectly labelled the continents of Asia and Europe, but Kupfer believes this was an intentional ‘artistic invention’ and one of many examples of mirrored imagery within the map. According to Kupfer, our human vision of the world is portrayed correctly, while God’s vision is reflected in a mirrored and reversed position.Another theory, according to Firman, is that the cities, people and animals found within the map’s circle reflect earthly matters that are bound to the constraints of time; while certain Biblical scenes placed outside of the Earth’s circle – such as Christ’s Last Judgment – are timeless.

Pilgrim trailHistorian Sarah Arrowsmith says the Mappa Mundi would have been awe-inspiring to the average visitor during the Middle Ages. Kept behind two wooden doors, the map was concealed during much of the year and only displayed to the public during special days and events.Hereford Cathedral’s Reverend Canon Chris Pullin maintains that the Mappa Mundi would have been the first depiction of the entire world many medieval people would have ever seen. And in an age rife with symbolism and rituals – from the clothing people wore to religious and civil ceremonies – the map likely would have helped people find meaning and hope in their lives.

Other treasuresWhile the Mappa Mundi may be Hereford Cathedral’s most significant medieval artefact, it isn’t its only one. Tucked away in a wing of the cathedral is the, where 229 ancient texts and manuscripts are still kept under lock and key in their original chains. Books were rare and valuable assets in the medieval world, and so beginning in the Middle Ages, universities and cathedrals around Europe began tethering them to a shelf with a chain to safeguard the works. Today, the library and its chained contents are still open to the public.The cathedral also boasts a copy of the Magna Carta. Often considered the foundation of English law and the first document limiting the King of England’s powers and protecting civil rights, the document’s most significant revision was issued by Henry III in 1217.

Only four of the original charters survive, and one is kept on display in the library of Hereford Cathedral. Past and futureMore than 700 years after the Mappa Mundi’s creation, tens of thousands of visitors continue to marvel at this fascinating glimpse into medieval life every year. Centuries of candlelight and finger-pointing have discoloured the map, but in 2013, Hereford Cathedral’s Mappa Mundi Trust commissioned the first high-resolution 3D scan of the ancient manuscript. Today, those who are unable to visit Hereford can view the map online in an that explores its many myths, beasts and cities in vivid detail.Those who can visit are treated to one of the UK’s best-kept medieval secrets; a world where mysterious oddities and mythical curiosities never fail to inspire wonder.(Text and images by Chris Griffiths; video and projections by Thomas Buttery).