characteristic of the Middle Ages was the growth of cities.This is due primarily to the division of society into social groups and the development of crafts.A typical medieval town in Western Europe was a small by modern standards, a settlement located in the vicinity of the monastery, a fortress or castle.A prerequisite for the construction of a new settlement was the presence of the reservoir - the river or lake.Needless Middle Ages covers a very considerable period of time: from the fifth century (early Middle Ages) fifteen (Renaissance).Many cities 5-15 centuries is a real fortress, surrounded by a wide shaft and a fortified wall, which allowed to keep the defense during the siege, because of the war for that period of time it was not uncommon.
European medieval city was the site unsafe, life in it was quite difficult.If from the devastating raids outlandish troops rescued the high walls and the active army, the disease against the stone fortifications were powerless.Frequent epidemics flare up in medieval Europe, took the lives of thousands of ordinary citizens.A plague could strike the city with nothing incomparable damage.It may be noted the following reasons for the rapid spread of the plague among the European population ages 5-15.Firstly, the state of medicine of that time did not allow to deal with separately taken foci.As a result, the "black death" spread first among the residents of the settlement, and then went far beyond acquiring epidemic proportions, and sometimes a pandemic.Second, despite the small number of inhabitants, population density in cities has been quite high.Overcrowding is the best of people contributed to the spread of infection is rapidly transferred from a sick person healthy.Third, by the standards of modern humans medieval city was a gathering of waste, domestic waste and animal excrement.Unsanitary, known to contribute to the emergence of many dangerous diseases spread by rats and other small rodents.
However, in the birth and expansion of the city had its positive features.So, most of them occurred in the lands of feudal lords or kings.People living on subservient vassal territories can deal with the economy, to trade to yield significant revenue.Vassals also benefited prosperity "his" city, since the bulk of the income he would receive a tax citizens.
Description of the medieval city
Most cities in Western Europe centuries numbered 5-15 from 4 to 10 thousand inhabitants.The town with a population of up to 4 million inhabitants was considered average.The largest medieval town could barely count 80 thousand inhabitants.Megacities of those times considered Milan, Florence, Paris.Basically they resided small merchants, craftsmen, warriors, had local urban elite.A characteristic feature of the European cities of the 12th century was the opening of them university students and the appearance as a separate social class.The first such institution opened in the major centers of the time - Oxford, Paris, Cambridge.Their appearance had a significant impact on the development of individual countries and Europe as a whole.
Today, the medieval town seems to us a sad and dangerous place, where even in the heat of the day it was possible to witness a robbery or murder.However, there is something romantic in the narrow streets of old European cities.How else to explain the increased interest of tourists and travelers just such ancient cities as Sartene (Italy), Cologne (Germany), Marseille (France).They allow you to plunge into history, to escape from the bustle of the modern "concrete jungle" to make, albeit short, a journey into the past.
