Medieval Cities: Society, Economy, and Gothic Art
Medieval Cities
Triennial Crop Rotation and Population Growth
1. What is the triennial rotation of crops? What is the benefit versus biennial rotation?
Triennial crop rotation was a significant advancement in agricultural techniques. It involved dividing the land into three sections instead of two. One section was planted with a spring crop, another with an autumn crop, and the third was left fallow (unplanted). This system allowed only one-third of the land to be fallow at any given time, compared to one-half in the biennial system. The main advantage was increased food production.
Advantages:
- The use of the collar and horseshoes on horses improved the efficiency of draft animals.
- Water mills and windmills simplified the task of grinding grain.
2. Analyze the data and explain the evolution of the population between 1000 and 1300.
- France: Population increase of 9 million.
- England: Population increase of 2.8 million.
- Holy Roman Empire: Population increase of 6 million.
3. What do you think caused this growth?
The population growth was primarily driven by improvements in agricultural practices, leading to increased food production and a more stable food supply.
Summary:
1. What circumstances made possible the increase in agricultural production?
The increase in agricultural production was due to major breakthroughs in farming techniques and the development of new agricultural instruments.
2. Establish the relationship between demographic growth, agricultural revitalization, and urban revitalization.
Increased crop yields led farmers to cities to trade their surplus, contributing to the growth and revitalization of urban centers.
Technological Advancements
- Windmill
- Water mill
- Norman plow
How Were Medieval Cities?
1. Identify different buildings and constructions in the city. Which buildings would be the most important? How was the city protected?
- Town hall, stately palaces, cathedrals, monasteries, hospitals, etc.
- Cities were protected by walls.
2. What was the central urban area? What buildings were located there?
- The central urban area was the large square.
- Merchants’ stalls, the town hall, and workshops were located in the square.
3. What activities took place there?
Comedians, puppeteers, market stalls, and the sale of various products took place in the central square.
4. Describe artisan housing and identify the activities that took place in it.
Artisan housing typically included a workshop on the ground floor. These units often opened to the street with a large window for displaying goods.
5. How was artisan work performed? Why?
Artisan work was organized in small workshops, owned and operated by a master craftsman. This structure allowed for specialized production and quality control.
6. What were the guilds?
Guilds: Guilds were associations of craftsmen that maintained a set of rules. No one could perform their job in a city without the guild’s permission.
7. Why were fairs important?
Fairs were important for farmers to sell their surplus produce and buy goods they needed.
8. How was the government organized in cities?
Initially, cities formed communes or assemblies of all neighbors to organize their government.
Crisis of the Late Middle Ages
1. Name and explain the three great catastrophes that emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries.
- Since the early 14th century, Europe experienced an agrarian crisis due to a succession of poor harvests. These were caused by unfavorable weather and the declining quality of land used during the great reclamation.
- In the 15th century, violent uprisings known as the Jacquerie occurred, where peasants were severely punished by the nobility.
2. The Hundred Years’ War: Which countries were involved, and what were the causes?
France and England fought in the Hundred Years’ War between 1337 and 1453. The war began due to a dispute over the French crown and the English monarch’s claim to be the King of France.
Gothic Art
1. Explain the characteristics of Gothic churches.
- Use of a new, higher, and lighter type of arch known as a pointed arch.
- New types of vaults, called ribbed vaults, formed by sections repaired by pointed arches.
- The new vault design increased the height of the buildings.
- The Gothic doorway inherited the basic elements of the Romanesque style.
2. Observe the drawings on page 57 and answer questions 1 and 2.
1. Cite the main parts and essential elements of a Gothic cathedral.
- Cover, rose window, gable, pinnacle, spire.
2. Indicate which elements or parts of the cathedral are covered by the photographs that accompany the central design.
- Nave, column, floor, counters, stained glass.
- Apse, side aisle, buttress, pinnacle, tower, vaults, pointed arches, taller and slender walls with stained glass windows.