The Medieval City:The Medieval City:City Air Makes One FreeCity Air Makes One Free

––––––––––––––––––––The Baroque CityThe Baroque City

The Culture of CitiesThe Culture of Cities

Wednesday, March 1/2006Wednesday, March 1/2006

SOSC 2730SOSC 2730

Selected CivilizationsSelected Civilizations

The The Black DeathBlack Death(Bubonic Plague)(Bubonic Plague)

1346-511346-51

150

125

100

75

50

25

0ca. 1050 ca. 1200 ca. 1330 ca. 1500

Cologne

Florence

Genoa

Granada

Seville

Venice

Social Instability & Social MobilitySocial Instability & Social Mobility

ConsequencesConsequences

• labour shortageslabour shortages–beakdown of feudalismbeakdown of feudalism

• beginnings of Western beginnings of Western capitalismcapitalism–accumulation of wealthaccumulation of wealth

• weakening of the Churchweakening of the Church• the role of cities strengthenedthe role of cities strengthened

Florence, ItalyFlorence, Italy

Palazzo Palazzo VecchioVecchio(1299)(1299)•a building for a building for the Priors –– the the Priors –– the representatives representatives of the guilds –– of the guilds –– who governed who governed the Republic of the Republic of FlorenceFlorence

Preindustrial CityPreindustrial City

• SjobergSjoberg• walled citywalled city• pedestrianpedestrian• high densityhigh density• commerce & manufacturingcommerce & manufacturing

• accessibilityaccessibility

Why the focus on Florence?Why the focus on Florence?

FlorenceFlorence

a flowering ofa flowering ofthe visual arts, literature,the visual arts, literature,

natural sciences, etc.natural sciences, etc.

rediscovery ofrediscovery ofclassical civilizationclassical civilization

medievalmedievalurbanizationurbanization

innovation ininnovation intrade & bankingtrade & banking

FlorenceFlorence

a flowering ofa flowering ofthe visual arts, literature,the visual arts, literature,

natural sciences, etc.natural sciences, etc.

rediscovery ofrediscovery ofclassical classical

civilizationcivilization

medievalmedievalurbanizationurbanization

innovation ininnovation intrade & bankingtrade & banking

FlorenceFlorence

a flowering ofa flowering ofthe visual arts, literature,the visual arts, literature,

natural sciences, etc.natural sciences, etc.

rediscovery ofrediscovery ofclassical civilizationclassical civilization

medievalmedievalurbanizationurbanization

innovation ininnovation intrade & bankingtrade & banking

FlorenceFlorence

a flowering ofa flowering ofthe visual arts, literature,the visual arts, literature,

natural sciences, etc.natural sciences, etc.

rediscovery ofrediscovery ofclassical civilizationclassical civilization

medievalmedievalurbanizationurbanization

innovation ininnovation intrade & bankingtrade & banking

FlorenceFlorence

a flowering ofa flowering ofthe visual arts, literature,the visual arts, literature,

natural sciences, etc.natural sciences, etc.

CreativityCreativity

• aware of achievementsaware of achievements

• very proud of their very proud of their achievementsachievements

LinkLink

GreeceGreece ––> ––> Rome Rome ––> ––> FlorenceFlorence

––––> > France, England, Germany, SpainFrance, England, Germany, Spain

CreativityCreativity

• moral confusionmoral confusion– decline of religiondecline of religion

• abandonment of “natural” abandonment of “natural” religion (Voltaire)religion (Voltaire)– violent family feuds, political violent family feuds, political

divisions, warfare, patrician wealth, divisions, warfare, patrician wealth, piety, republican government, piety, republican government, creativitycreativity

AchievementsAchievements

• linkage to the pastlinkage to the past

• rediscovery of “nature”rediscovery of “nature”

• art came to reflect realismart came to reflect realism

EconomyEconomy

• wealthwealth• wool textiles, wood carving & wool textiles, wood carving &

wood inlay work, silk textiles, wood inlay work, silk textiles, goldsmithing, stone dressing, goldsmithing, stone dressing, bankingbanking

• most notable: textile trade, most notable: textile trade, textile manufacturing, bankingtextile manufacturing, banking

• could not rely on agriculturecould not rely on agriculture

Economic RevolutionEconomic Revolution

• organizationorganization–rationalrational

–calculatingcalculating

– long-term planninglong-term planning

–knowledge gatheringknowledge gathering

–knowledge organizationknowledge organization

The Medici The Medici FamilyFamily

• Salvestro de’Medici Salvestro de’Medici led the common led the common people in the revolt of people in the revolt of the the ciompiciompi (small (small artisans)artisans)• family members family members continued to dominate continued to dominate the city –– politically & the city –– politically & economically for the economically for the next couple of next couple of centuriescenturies

RenaissanceRenaissance

• breakdown of medieval waysbreakdown of medieval ways–mercantilist capitalismmercantilist capitalism

–new political frameworknew political framework

–new ideological formnew ideological form

Renaissance CityRenaissance City

• MumfordMumford– until 1600s form rather confuseduntil 1600s form rather confused

– breakdown of authority of Churchbreakdown of authority of Church

– religionreligion

– tradetrade

– politicspolitics

MumfordMumford

• importance of the importance of the Black Black DeathDeath–collective exhaustioncollective exhaustion

–social disorganizationsocial disorganization

–shifting power relationshipsshifting power relationships

– limits on freedomlimits on freedom

BaroqueBaroque

• uniformityuniformity

• centralizationcentralization

• absolutism of Church absolutism of Church ––>––> absolutism of the monarchabsolutism of the monarch–supremacy of the emerging supremacy of the emerging

nation statenation state

CitiesCities

• king-centred by 1600sking-centred by 1600s

• opening up of the cityopening up of the city

• scale increasesscale increases

• Baroque city an outgrowth of Baroque city an outgrowth of political & economic changepolitical & economic change

ImpactImpact

• different in different parts of Europedifferent in different parts of Europe– EnglandEngland– ItalyItaly

• loss of democracyloss of democracy• centralized statecentralized state– permanent bureaucracy, courts of permanent bureaucracy, courts of

justice, archives & records, buildings justice, archives & records, buildings for official business (office buildings)for official business (office buildings)

––––> capital city needed> capital city needed

Scale of Cities Increases Scale of Cities Increases (1650)(1650)• ParisParis 400,000400,000• LondonLondon 350,000350,000• NaplesNaples 300,000300,000• LisbonLisbon 150,000150,000• VeniceVenice 140,000140,000• MilanMilan 120,000120,000• AmsterdamAmsterdam 120,000120,000• RomeRome 110,000110,000• PalermoPalermo 100,000100,000• MadridMadrid 100,000100,000• SevilleSeville 80,000 80,000• FlorenceFlorence 74,000 74,000

PowerPower

• kings absolutekings absolute–armies & naviesarmies & navies

–gunpowdergunpowder

––––>> impact on city impact on city