Medieval Urbanization and Economic Transformation

Growth of Medieval Cities

• Improvement in agriculture, particularly **ploughing** techniques.
• Increased food supply led to population growth, transforming towns into cities.
• This growth began in countries such as Italy, where ancient cities founded by the **Romans** had never completely disappeared.
• Urban areas also grew up in new places, such as Russia and Scandinavia.
• Cities often lacked a sewer system.
• Inside the city walls, houses were **crowded** together and streets were narrow.
• The center of daily life was the square, where the market was held.
• Monasteries and convents were also built in urban areas.
• Universities were founded, replacing monasteries as the main source of knowledge.

Urban Society and Social Groups

• A new social group emerged: the **bourgeoisie** (part of the *Third Estate*).
• The bourgeoisie included bankers, money lenders, and money changers.
• Other groups included servants, laborers, and beggars.
• The Jewish population lived in the Jewish quarters or the ghettos.
• The Muslim population lived in the Moorish Quarter.

Medieval Urban Economy

• Trade and bartering were key economic activities.
• Trade was primarily conducted at **fairs**.
• Although bartering was common, the minting of gold coins was revived, leading to significant changes:
  • Kings collected taxes and paid their armies using currency.
  • Peasants who had previously worked for and served the nobles for free now had to pay rent for the land they worked.

Crafts and Guild Structure

The path to becoming a master craftsman involved three stages:

• They began as **apprentices**.
• When they had learned the trade, they became **journeymen**.
• To become a **master**, they had to create a *masterpiece*, which was approved by the guild council.

The Crisis of the 14th Century

Population Growth (11th–13th Centuries)

• In the 11th century, Europe reached a population of 48 million inhabitants. Large areas of land were ploughed up for farming, and there was an urban renaissance.
• From the 12th to the 13th century, Europe reached 73 million inhabitants, and its network of cities was growing.

Agricultural Limits and Decline

By the end of the 13th century, agriculture had reached the limit of its possible growth with the resources available, and production slowed, causing the end of an agrarian cycle.

Factors Contributing to the 14th Century Crisis

In the 14th century, living conditions began to worsen due to the decrease in production and several interconnected factors:

• Historical sources repeatedly mention a period of **bad harvests**, suggesting the existence of a period of climate change.
• As a result of the *boom* in trade and handicrafts, a lot of land was now being used for other more profitable products such as wine and flax.
• Large areas of land were set aside for pasture for wool-producing sheep, further reducing grain production areas.