Life in a Medieval City by Joseph and Francis Gies
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 30, 1981)
ISBN-10: 0060908807
The year is 1250 A.D. People from all over Europe have gathered in the medieval city of Troyes — the capital city of the county of Champagne in France — for one of the two major fairs of the year. Merchants and bankers, nobles and clergymen, have come to Troyes to buy and sell and lend. The commercial revolution of the Middle Ages has re-energized the European markets, and cities like Troyes are growing at a rapid pace all across medieval Europe.
Life in a Medieval City depicts the life of the typical urban center during the height of the Middle Ages, using Troyes as a backdrop to represent such cities. Authors Joseph and Francis Gies make city life come alive through their vivid descriptions of the sights, sound, smells, and stories. Written for the casual reader or student of medieval history, Life in a Medieval City draws the reader into the world of 13th century France and paints a clear picture of what it would have been like to experience things first-hand. Eye witness accounts tell the true stories of those who lived in Troyes, and through their words, we gain a better understanding of the social, political, and economic structures that shaped and changed the feudal establishment.
A wonderful reference for anyone to own, I give it 4 1/2 stars.