Medieval towns The Medieval World HI127 Slide 2 Slide 3 What
makes a town? Is size a determinant? Is a legal deed crucial? Slide
4 Types of town 1. A town with Roman origins 2. New political
centres of the middle ages 3. Outgrowth of prosperous villages 4.
Artificial creations (These categories overlap) Slide 5 Why do
towns grow? They are dependent on agricultural productivity
Sometimes they spring up around ecclesiastical communities
Interdependence of town and countryside Slide 6 Slide 7 Slide 8
Slide 9 Slide 10 Trade Position of a town is important Development
of long-distance trade during this period Trade facilitated by
growth in money supply Italian ports are important in opening up
trading opportunities Slide 11 Slide 12 Trading routes Slide 13
Trade by conquest: Genoa, Pisa and Venice Slide 14 Banking and
fairs Banking facilitates trade through loans Fairs provide an
interface between long-distance and local trade to the countryside
Slide 15 Slide 16 Slide 17 Social relations Why do people move to
cities in this period? Legal advantages; economic opportunities;
flight from poverty (and many other reasons) But poverty and social
exclusion are real problems
