Life in a Medieval City

By: Frances Gies, Joseph Gies

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Life in a Medieval City is the classic account of the year 1250 in the city of Troyes, in modern-day France. Acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies focus on a high point of medieval civilization - before war and the Black Death ravaged Europe - providing a fascinating window into the sophistication of a period we too often dismiss as backward.

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.

©1969 Joseph and Francis C. Gies (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

“Some particular books I found useful for A Game of Thrones and its sequels deserve mention.... Life in a Medieval Castle and Life in a Medieval City, both by Joseph and Frances Gies.” (George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series)

an excellent resource on medieval city life

very good but not a great resource on life Under Siege. nevertheless I was impressed with the thoroughness despite having come to expect it from the authors

Excellent History

Excellent. Would love for Life in A Medieval Castle by the authors to be done in audio book too.

Decent

They could have removed the long French passages i suppose.... I enjoyed it though. Hooray

Mediævalism

This narration is a fascinating and articulately expresses journey into life in the Middle Ages.

A great look at life in medieval times

I read the book on medieval villages, which I enjoyed, but I thought this one was stronger. It might be because of my french heritage, or that my idea of medieval life was in a city setting, but I found this to be more interesting to me. Similar to the book on villages, you really see that these people were simply human beings like us, with the same fears and worries. They just lived in a more difficult time.