Urban Life in the Middle Ages

Download or read book Urban Life in the Middle Ages written by Keith Lilley and published by Red Globe Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What was life like in towns and cities in medieval Europe? How did people live, and why was it that some towns grew into major urban centres while others did not? After the year 1000, all across Europe urban life prospered as it had never done before. New towns emerged, and established towns and cities grew larger and became more powerful and dominant. During the later Middle Ages these towns and cities were the focus of religious, political, commercial and social activity; the places where power, profit, piety and people all came together. Urban life was indeed the making of medieval Europe. Drawing upon original research, as well as the work of medieval historians, urban archaeologists and historical geographers, Keith Lilley explores the close relationship that existed between the life of towns in the Middle Ages and the life within towns. Taking a fresh and challenging approach, this richly-illustrated book will be invaluable to anyone interested in medieval Europe. It focuses on important themes, including lordship, property, and townscape, and explores the processes which not only shaped the towns and cities of medieval Europe, but also the people who lived in them.