Background
Over the course of the Early Middle Ages cities had become less and less populated and increasingly dilapidated. The quality and overall use of local cities rose exponentially in 1100, however, due to merchants in need of a base from where they could store their goods and a base from which they could trade while remaining safe. Soon after merchants started to reinhabit the cities craftsmen of all different kinds followed them into the settlements with high hopes of raising their sales capacity.
Founding of New Cities and Towns
Cities really began to reappear in history in the late 10th century as new cities were founded. A good majority of new cities that were built were built in N. Italy and were usually started by merchants. These infant cities were almost always founded near a manor house or castle, though a castle was usually perferred because they were usually located along major routes of travel. If the infant cities were successful then there was always a chance that they would be reinforced in the way of city walls, and in fact many cities were named after the walls that protected them. Edinburgh, for example, icorperates the old english word borough which means fortress. The merchents of these cities therfor came to be known as burghers.
Because the cities had to be so closely attatched to the surrounding land they had to work with and obey the Lord that resided over the land they lived on. Though the towns people were restricted to the rules the Lords put in place, they were not belittled or dprived by those Lords. In fact they wanted to treat the people as well as they treated their owns servents, but the towns folk had different needs such as mobility of trade, so the Lords began to sell to the people the rights and privelages that they needed.
Because the cities had to be so closely attatched to the surrounding land they had to work with and obey the Lord that resided over the land they lived on. Though the towns people were restricted to the rules the Lords put in place, they were not belittled or dprived by those Lords. In fact they wanted to treat the people as well as they treated their owns servents, but the towns folk had different needs such as mobility of trade, so the Lords began to sell to the people the rights and privelages that they needed.
Rights of Townspeople
Most towns received charters from their Lords giving them rigthts that they needed. These privelages that the cities recieved consisted of the ability to give and sell land, the ability to obstain from any type of forced military obligation for their Lord, the guarantee of freedom, the ability for serfs to become freemen after staying a year and one day in a certain town and the most substantial law is that a runaway serf had the ability to become free. (Spielvogal, 255). Yet certian cities weren't given charters by their Lords and they subsequently decided to form a commune to conspire against their Lord.
The first records of communes we are able to find come from Italy. The new founded cities were governed by Bishops who were employed by the Emperor. Over time the cities came to overthrow the local Bishop and instead placed their own commune in charge. This overthrow of the Bishop happened in many cities such as Tuscany and Lombardy, and so Tuscany and Lombardy both had their own form of government by the 11th century. The communes, however, were only able to overthrow their Bishop through the help of the local Lords.
Other cities in France and in Flanders had reballions in an attempt to overthrow their Bishop or Lord. When assulting their Lord the people were usually suppressed, but when attacking their Bishops the peole were often successful. This meant that northern cities were also able to form their own government, but, unlike in Italy, they remained layal to the King of France or Flanders.
Over time all European cities were able to create their own government in order to properly guide their people, but not every city had the same amount of freedom with their government due to the type of Lord that ruled over them.
The first records of communes we are able to find come from Italy. The new founded cities were governed by Bishops who were employed by the Emperor. Over time the cities came to overthrow the local Bishop and instead placed their own commune in charge. This overthrow of the Bishop happened in many cities such as Tuscany and Lombardy, and so Tuscany and Lombardy both had their own form of government by the 11th century. The communes, however, were only able to overthrow their Bishop through the help of the local Lords.
Other cities in France and in Flanders had reballions in an attempt to overthrow their Bishop or Lord. When assulting their Lord the people were usually suppressed, but when attacking their Bishops the peole were often successful. This meant that northern cities were also able to form their own government, but, unlike in Italy, they remained layal to the King of France or Flanders.
Over time all European cities were able to create their own government in order to properly guide their people, but not every city had the same amount of freedom with their government due to the type of Lord that ruled over them.
City Governments
The members of the local council were, at least at first, elected by the poeple of the city. The memebers were given the responsability of running the general affairs of the city. Later the members of the council, who were primarily patricians, began to see to it that any of the newly elected council members were also patricians so that the city would always be under control of the wealthy. There were a few cases in which the peasants revolted or protested against this fixed election, but there was no stopping the council.
Eventually European cities began to elect a single person to take a new type of office, in order to either act as almost a city ruler or as just a figurehead. This elected person was commonly reffered to as a mayor.
The new local government that was achieved by many of the newly founded cities in Europe were rnot simply for show. In fact they they held very serious very important responsibilties in the way of protecting the city from both physical harm and harm in the sense of corruption. The local commune provided serves like protecting the city from outside forces, controlling water and air pollution, deligating certain people throughout the city to be firefighters and providing them with water barrels, stock pile food in case of famine or besiegement and to regulate a standard of weights used in currency transactions. (Spielvogel, 255).
In the uprising cities of the Medieval Age there wasn't an extremely high rate of crime. This was largely due to the small size of most cities which made it impossible for criminals to operate off the radar. Since crime wasn't very high not many safety precautions were taken, but there were usually night street patrollers and wall guards during the day. There were also preemptive punishments for crimes set in place just in case the need arose. These punishments included execution, fines, flogging, branding or public exposure, such as being placed in the pillory. (Spielvogel, 255).
In short most cities in Medieval Europe were very small, with the exception of Florence, Venice, Milan and London. In fact a sizable trading city in medieval times housed around 5,000 inhabitants at best.
Eventually European cities began to elect a single person to take a new type of office, in order to either act as almost a city ruler or as just a figurehead. This elected person was commonly reffered to as a mayor.
The new local government that was achieved by many of the newly founded cities in Europe were rnot simply for show. In fact they they held very serious very important responsibilties in the way of protecting the city from both physical harm and harm in the sense of corruption. The local commune provided serves like protecting the city from outside forces, controlling water and air pollution, deligating certain people throughout the city to be firefighters and providing them with water barrels, stock pile food in case of famine or besiegement and to regulate a standard of weights used in currency transactions. (Spielvogel, 255).
In the uprising cities of the Medieval Age there wasn't an extremely high rate of crime. This was largely due to the small size of most cities which made it impossible for criminals to operate off the radar. Since crime wasn't very high not many safety precautions were taken, but there were usually night street patrollers and wall guards during the day. There were also preemptive punishments for crimes set in place just in case the need arose. These punishments included execution, fines, flogging, branding or public exposure, such as being placed in the pillory. (Spielvogel, 255).
In short most cities in Medieval Europe were very small, with the exception of Florence, Venice, Milan and London. In fact a sizable trading city in medieval times housed around 5,000 inhabitants at best.
Life in the Medieval City
Medieval cities were characteristically small. This was due to the fact that walls were exponentially expensive, but also necessary for protection. The way around this problem was to simply construct walls around a smaller area and then cram the buildings together as tightly as possible. This cramming of building made the risk of fire astounding. Because so many buildings were packed so densely together, people could only make more room by creating balconies or second floors. The small size of Medieval cities often caused the people to work out of their first floor. Because many worked out of their house their families were also involved in their profession and their children were thus taught their trade. The women also developed their own profession on occasion, but the variety of jobs a woman could do were limited; they included making glass, making hats, making cloth or brewing.
The church was a large part of Medieval life and the proof of it lies in the numbers of churches planted in the average city. In fact London, in the 13th century, had 120 different churches. There were certain cases, however, in which the number of churches in the city wasn't as great, and in its place a cathedral was built. This usually only happened if the city was under control of a bishop.
It wasn't uncommon for a city to have separate districts for either different jobs one could have or say a housing district. The merchant and artisan districts were two of the most recognizable districts in a city. There were certain buildings or structures in a district that were specific to the profession of that district. The merchant district, for example, housed warehouses, inns or taverns.
The state of the Medieval city was nothing short of horrible. There were constant problems of pollution due to waist, fires, blood dumped into the river, breweries, dyers etc. Many of the professions in the Medieval world contributed to the pollution of the city. The tanneries and butcher shops dumped the animal remains in the river, though the shops were down river in hopes of avoiding pollution, it didn't matter and the citizens became sick anyways. The people didn't even have a good system of disposing of their own waist.
The best ways the city governments could think of to avoid pollution was by drawing water from wells or aqueducts. They also built city baths in order to increase the local hygiene. The public baths, however, were quickly looked down upon and done away with therefore decreasing the public health. This was due to the increasing desensitizing of the people to the rules of the bath house. One man commented, "Shameful things. Men make a point of staying all night in the public baths and women at the break of day come in and through 'ignorance' find themselves in the men's rooms." (Speilvogel, 258).
The church was a large part of Medieval life and the proof of it lies in the numbers of churches planted in the average city. In fact London, in the 13th century, had 120 different churches. There were certain cases, however, in which the number of churches in the city wasn't as great, and in its place a cathedral was built. This usually only happened if the city was under control of a bishop.
It wasn't uncommon for a city to have separate districts for either different jobs one could have or say a housing district. The merchant and artisan districts were two of the most recognizable districts in a city. There were certain buildings or structures in a district that were specific to the profession of that district. The merchant district, for example, housed warehouses, inns or taverns.
The state of the Medieval city was nothing short of horrible. There were constant problems of pollution due to waist, fires, blood dumped into the river, breweries, dyers etc. Many of the professions in the Medieval world contributed to the pollution of the city. The tanneries and butcher shops dumped the animal remains in the river, though the shops were down river in hopes of avoiding pollution, it didn't matter and the citizens became sick anyways. The people didn't even have a good system of disposing of their own waist.
The best ways the city governments could think of to avoid pollution was by drawing water from wells or aqueducts. They also built city baths in order to increase the local hygiene. The public baths, however, were quickly looked down upon and done away with therefore decreasing the public health. This was due to the increasing desensitizing of the people to the rules of the bath house. One man commented, "Shameful things. Men make a point of staying all night in the public baths and women at the break of day come in and through 'ignorance' find themselves in the men's rooms." (Speilvogel, 258).