Agricultural improvements led to population growth and the rise of cities in medieval Europe. As cities expanded, trade increased between growing urban centers along major routes like the Mediterranean and Baltic seas. Stronger monarchies also developed as kings gained support from prosperous cities in exchange for autonomy, collecting more taxes to fund royal armies and governments. Guilds organized craftsmen in cities and helped regulate skilled trades that supplied the growing urban markets.

1. UNIT 3. MEDIEVAL CITIES

2. Why did Europe become more
prosperous since the 12th
century?
THERE WERE FIVE IMPORTANT FACTORS
AGRICULTURE:
This production
increased due to
new techniques
POPULATION:
Population
increased due to
the improvement
of the agriculture
CITIES:
There were more and
bigger cities because
many people moved from
the countryside to the
cities
MONARCHIES
They became
stronger because
cities supported
kings with taxes
and soldiers
TRADE
The trade increased due to the growth of the
cities and the agriculture.
Besides, routes were safer with stronger
kingdoms

3. AGRICULTURE AND
POPULATION
Reasons of the agricultural growth:
1. NEW LANDS  CUTTING DOWN FORESTS AND DRAINING MARSHES

4. 2. THREE-YEAR SYSTEM OF CROP ROTATION
Before peasants left the half of the land fallow.
Since the 12th century they only left a third of the
lands fallow

5. 3. The invention of a new plough: The mouldboard plough
It was more efficient than the Roman plough

6. 4. New techniques and crops introduced in the
Mediterranean coast due to the contacts with the Muslims

7. 5. The use of mills did the work of more than 40 people. As a
result, new lands were worked and many peasants went to
the cities.
5. Food production increased
and population also increased.
There were more people to
work and some of then went to
the cities  cities grew

8. HOW DID TRADE GROW?

9. THE INCREASE OF THE FOOD PRODUCTION AND THE
POPULATION MADE CITIES BIGGER.
AS A RESULT, THE TRADE GREW FROM THE 12TH CENTURY
THERE WERE THREE MAIN TRADE ROUTES:
THE MEDITERRANEAN OR ITALIAN ROUTE
THIS ROUTE LINKED SPANISH AND ITALIAN CITIES WITH MUSLIM
AND BYZANTINE CITIES
IT WAS BY SEA AND THE MAIN IMPORTANT SEAPORTS WERE:
CADIZ, VALENCIA, BARCELONA, MARSEILLE, GEONOA, NAPLES,
VENICE, CONSTANTINOPLE, ANTIOCH AND TREBIZOND
THE WESTERN EUROPEAN MERCHANTS IMPORTED LUXURY
ITEMS AND FURS AND THEY EXPORTED CLOTH (MAINLY
LEATHER), WHEAT AND WEAPONS

10. THE ATLANTIC-BALTIC OR HANSEATIC ROUTE
IT WAS CONTROLLED BY THE HANSEATIC LEAGUE. IT WAS AN
ASSOCIATION OF MERCHANTS FROM RICH CITIES FROM THE
NORTH OF EUROPE
THE ROUTE LINKED IBERIAN AND FRENCH PORTS WITH
FLEMISH, GERMAN, POLISH AND RUSSIAN CITIES
THEY EXCHANGED:
- WOOL FROM ENGLAND AND CASTILLE
- SALT AND FRENCH WINES
- ENGLISH TIN
- PRODUCTS FROM THE NORTH OF EUROPE: AMBER, FURS,
WOOD, WHEAT...
THIS ROUTE WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT MADE VERY RICH THE
CITIES LOCATED IN THE HANSEATIC AREA

11. THERE WERE ALSO OVERLAND ROUTES BY RIVERS AND BY LAND
There were fairs in some cities where merchants from many countries
went to exchange products
The most important fairs were in Champagne (France) in cities like
Lagny, Troyes or Provins
Other fairs were in Germany (Leipzig, Frankfurt or Dortmund) and
Castille (Medina del Campo)

12. 4. What was the role of craftsmen?
Definition of craftsmen: They were workers who made products
with their hands in the cities and towns
Where did they work? They worked in workshops and they sold
those products at the same place
The craftsmen who had the same
job lived in the same street.
For that reason, some streets
had the name of the craftsmen’s
trade:
In Vitoria there are still streets
which are called “Herrería”,
“Cuchillería”, “Zapatería”,
“Pintorería”...

13. MEANINGS OF TRADE
BUSINNES
DEAL
COMMERCE
JOB

14. CRAFTSMEN IN THE 12th CENTURY
Better agriculture  More production of food  Increase of the
population  People moved to the cities  Great demand of products
in the cities  Number of craftsmen increased  Trade is bigger 
Cities are wealthier
WHAT WERE THE GUILDS?
They were associations of craftmen who belonged to the same profession
They started to work from the 12th century
Guilds controlled many things:
• Production
• Distribution of raw materials
• Number of workers
• Prices of the products

15. Working in a trade out of a guild was forbidden
Guilds also had social tasks:
• To look after the workers and their families
• To build hospitals and other important buildings for the cities
As a result, guilds had a great power in the cities
CATEGORIES OF CRAFTSMEN
MASTER:
• He was the owner of the workshop and he lived there with his family
• Masters controlled the guilds
JOURNEYMEN:
• Skilled craftsmen with a salary
APPRENTICES:
• Young men who learnt a trade
• They worked for the master but they did not have a salary
• If they were good, they became journeymen

16. 5. WHY DID MONARCHIES
GROW STRONGER?

17. THE GROWTH OF THE ROYAL AUTHORITY WHY?
AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND CITIES GREW IN THE 12th CENTURY
AS A RESULT, KINGS COULD
COLLECT MORE TAXES AND THEY
CREATED STRONG ROYAL ARMIES
THUS, KINGS CONTROLLED NOBLES AND THEIR KINGDOMS

18. KINGS DID NOT ONLY NEED A STRONG ARMY TO CONTROL
THEIR KINGDOMS, BUT ALSO AN EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT
FOR THAT REASON, KINGS SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF
UNIVERSITIES TO TRAIN LAWYERS
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT UNIVERSITIES WERE IN
BOLOGNA (ITALY), SALAMANCA (SPAIN), OXFORD AND
CAMBRIDGE (ENGLAND) OR PARIS (FRANCE)
LAWYERS RESTORED THE ROMAN LAW, WHICH GAVE
MORE POWER TO THE KINGS

19. THE SUPPORT OF THE CITIES WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
THE KINGS, BECAUSE NOBLES CONTROLLED THE
COUNTRYSIDE
KINGS GAVE CHARTERS OF FREEDOM TO THE CITIES.
THUS, CITIES WERE FREE FROM THE NOBLE POWER
IN EXCHANGE, CITIES GAVE TAXES AND SOLDIERS TO THE
KINGS IN ORDER TO DEFEAT NOBLES

20. KINGS MADE DEALS WITH CITIES IN THE PARLIAMENTS
PARLIAMENTS WERE INSTITUTIONS WHERE THE KINGS,
THE NOBLES WHO SUPPORTED THE KING AND MAYORS
OF THE CITIES MADE AGREEMENTS
KINGS CALLED A MEETING IN THE PARLIAMENT TO
ESTABLISH TAXES OR BUDGETS FOR A WAR
THE MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT ALSO COULD GIVE
POLITICAL ADVICE TO THE KING
IN SOME KINGDOMS, LIKE IN
CASTILE, THE POWER OF THE
KING WAS VERY WEEK. IN
OTHER KINGDOMS, LIKE IN
ARAGÓN, THE PARLIAMENT
HAD MORE POWER
THE FIRST PARLIAMENT IN THE
WORLD WAS SET IN ICELAND

21. CONFLICTS IN EUROPE DURING
THE MIDDLE AGES
INTERNAL OR CIVIL WARS
They were caused by fights related to succession
When a king died
without children
When a king was
considered to be
unsuitable
INTERNATIONAL WARS
Different kingdoms fought to expand their boundaries