Medieval Towns and Trades part 1
When soldiers returned from the Crusades, they brought back treasures from the East—spices, fruits, perfumes, dyes, silks, and jewels. The people of Europe were fascinated by these exotic goods. Soon, the traditional farming life that had sustained Europe for centuries no longer felt like enough. People craved new and different things, and this desire marked the beginning of the decline of feudalism.
Instead of depending only on farmland for survival, people began building towns and setting up trade routes between them. Through these routes, not only did new goods arrive from the East, but fresh ideas, crafts, and cultural influences spread across Europe.
By the 12th century, trade was making wealthy people even richer with luxuries. Ordinary food and clothing for the poor were still produced in manor villages, but weekly markets and yearly fairs opened the door to more variety. At these gatherings, people could buy saddles, fine clothes, weapons, and other goods that weren’t part of everyday village life.
Most towns grew in busy and strategic places—near monasteries, harbors, or castles. At first, most towns belonged to the king, and the people who lived there had to pay him money. But when King Richard needed funds for the Crusades, he began selling charters that gave towns their freedom in exchange for money. These charters allowed townspeople to govern themselves and collect their own taxes. Soon, any town that could afford it was eager to buy a royal charter.
Life in these towns was quite different from village life. An ordinary house usually had two floors and fewer—but larger—rooms than a modern home. Wealthy merchants could afford luxuries such as glass windows, known then as “crystal plates.” In contrast, most ordinary homes had only wooden shutters and no glass at all.
