LESSON 3 MEDIEVAL CITIES

FIVE MINUTES to READ pages 50 (3.3.), 52 and 53

VOCABULARY Roman Law  Derecho Romano Charters of Liberties  cartas de Libertad Parliaments  Parlamentos Borders  Fronteras

3.3. Urban Society Urban Culture –Between the 11th and 13th century there was a renaissance in cities and in urban life. –Not only the Church commissioned works of art now. Noblemen and rich merchants built palaces to live in. –First, urban schools were built and, later, Universities. The kings needed educated admnistrators to govern their kingdoms. The burghers and nobles also wanted education for their children.

3.4. Monarchies The growth of royal authority –In the 12th century, medieval economies improved and the kings collected more taxes. They created their own armies, and forced many feudal lords to obey them –They strengthened the governments in their kingdoms, and they contracted lawyers from important Universities. These lawyers restored Roman Law, which gave much more power to the kings than traditional law. continues

3.4. Monarchies (continue…) –In cities, the kings began to take power from the nobles. They gave charters of liberties to the cities, which became free of feudal dependence. –In exchange, the citizens supported the king against the feudal lords, and they began to have political power

3.4. Monarchies The Creation of Parliaments –The kings began to create Parliaments. They were very different from the parliaments of today. The only people who were represented were the king, the nobles, the clergy and the city mayors. The kings wanted to use the support of the cities to reduce the nobles’ power –Parliaments only met when the king called a meeting. Their main functions were to establish new taxes and approve special budgets for wars continues

3.4. Monarchies (continue…) –Parliaments had different degrees of power. In Castile, for example, the king was more powerful than in Aragon, where the parliament had more authority

3.4. Monarchies Conflicts between European Kingdoms –Many conflicts were caused by disputes over succession. These occurred when a monarch died without leaving a successor, or a successor was considered to be unsuitable –Other disputes were caused by the need to establish borders. There were many unowned lands, and the boundaries between different kingdoms were not clear

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ACTIVITIES True or False –Monarchs became weaker in the 12th century –Cities and monarchs were allies –Parliaments decided on taxes, especially for wars –Parliaments were mainly composed of aristocrats