| Life in a Medieval City Contributor(s): Gies, Frances (Author) |
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ISBN: 0060908807 ISBN-13: 9780060908805 Publisher: Harper Perennial OUR PRICE: $13.29 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 1981 Annotation: For students, researchers, and history lovers, a look at day-to-day life in a rarely explored era. "About life and death, midwives and funerals, business, books and authors, and town government."--"Choice" |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - Medieval - Travel | Europe - France |
| Dewey: 914.433 |
| LCCN: 74013058 |
| Series: Medieval Life |
| Physical Information: 0.69" H x 5.29" W x 8.08" (0.48 lbs) 288 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) - Cultural Region - French |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Medieval history comes alive in Frances and Joseph Gies s Life in a Medieval City, used as a research resource by George R. R. Martin in creating the world of A Game of Thrones. Reissued for the first time in decades, 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. An excellently written account of what is known of the life of medieval burghers. Library Journal" |