The Structure of Medieval Society AP European History

CAUTION! Taking notes in class is in NO WAY a substitute for reading. On the tests, you will be responsible for whatever I assign you to read and for what I tell you in class. The devil is in the details. Know the details!

Meaning of “structures of society” Definition: Division of classes. In today’s world, we have lower, middle, upper. In late medieval Europe, there were clergy, nobles, and peasants. The middle class as it exists today was extremely smaller in late medieval Europe.

The Clergy In Western European, there was only one church, the Roman Catholic Church. Clergy included the pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, friars, abbots, nuns, and monks. They were organized in a pyramid structure. At the top stood the Pope. His word was law in the Roman Catholic Church. All members of the clergy had to follow his orders.

Papal States The pope also ruled over lands like a king would. These lands were in central Italy and were called the Papal States.

Nobles Nobles include knights, dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, princes, princesses, queens, kings, emperors, and empresses. Nobles can also be called aristocrats or lords and ladies. Most upper members of the clergy (pope, cardinals, archbishops, and bishops) were originally members of the nobility. The nobles owned most of the land.

Peasants 85% of the population were peasants. Peasants were basically farmers. Most barely grew enough food to survive. 3/4ths of their income went to buying enough food to survive.

Social History: The Structure of Society 1. Medieval society in three social groups –a. clergy (Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, friars, nuns, and monks) –b. nobles including knights, dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, princes, princesses, queens, kings, emperors, and empresses. –c. peasants, those who worked on the land. –Society was structured hierarchically; that is, one group stood over the others. Clergy and nobles over peasants –There was very little social mobility; that is, hardly no one could move from his class up into another. –Clergy on local parish level were poor. Above them, men, such as bishops, were much richer and usually came from noble families –Nobles owned most of land. Status and income came from owning land. Superiority b/c of birth not what they had done in life. Nobles did not even work. Peasants: 85% of population. Three fourths of income went to buying enough food to survive.

Rural with some urban Society in the late middle ages was overwhelmingly rural. The few pockets of urbanized areas included northern Italy. There one would see walled towns with gates and towers. Towns grew up around ports, river- crossings, markets, or around the residences of counts and bishops.

Walled Town of Avignon in France