

Life in a Medieval City
Author: Frances Gies, Joseph Gies
Narrator: Anne Flosnik
Unabridged: 6 hr 49 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Tantor Media
Published: 08/15/2017
Categories: Nonfiction, History, European History
Synopsis
Urban life in the Middle Ages revolved around the home, often a mixed-use dwelling for burghers with a store or workshop on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs. A developed economy, focusing on textiles, farming, and financial services, could be found in the town center, where craftsmen competed for business while adhering to the guilds' codes of conduct. There were schools for the children, though only boys could attend and the lessons were taught in Latin by a priest. The church was a hub of both religious and civic life; services were lively and filled with song, and baptisms and other special occasions brought neighbors together to celebrate. The weddings of wealthier townsfolk were lavish affairs full of song and dance and drinking that could sometimes last for weeks.