Life in a Medieval City

Joseph and Frances Gies’s work of medieval historical nonfiction, Life in a Medieval City (1969), looks at daily existence in the medieval city of Troyes, France, during the mid-thirteenth century. Critics praised the book for covering so many hidden facets of life during the Middle Ages, and for exploring how society functioned. Joseph Gies and his wife, Frances, have collaborated on numerous historical books about the Middle Ages and medieval societies. Joseph worked as an editor and historian. Frances authored a handful of history books on her own.

The authors explain that 1250 was a prosperous year for Troyes. During this year, culture flourished, medicine advanced, and businesses grew. They choose this period because it lets them explore the highlights of medieval life instead of simply focusing on its hardships. Troyes attracted merchants, nobles, and skilled traders, but it was also home to thousands of peasants trying to better themselves. The Gieses explore all these groups in detail.

The book includes chapters on everything from funeral rites to family life. The stories contained within each chapter demonstrate how similar we are to these medieval citizens. We value home life as they did, we care about making money and running businesses, and we are always looking for ways to improve ourselves. The people of thirteenth-century Troyes are no different.



Life in a Medieval City includes illustrations and maps to set the scene. These images make it easier for readers to imagine what Troyes looked like in 1250, and how the city’s streets flowed together. Although the book appeals to history students looking for more information on medieval history, it is accessible to casual readers and those learning about the Middle Ages for the first time.

The book looks at how families and districts function. Everyone has a role to play. For example, although women don’t have the same earning power as men, and many of them can’t work, they control the purse-strings. The women decide what happens to money coming in and out of the house, and they train their daughters to do the same. The authors don’t comment on whether this is a fair system, instead, focusing on presenting the facts.

The Gieses consider the forces shaping a European city such as Troyes during the Middle Ages. Throughout every facet of life, one influence is clear—the Christian Church. The Christian Church controls everything from education to population movement. For example, the church needs people to work the land and keep the city running, which means the church creates jobs. This control doesn’t last forever, but the Christian Church dominates Troyes in 1250.



Additionally, commerce plays a crucial role in daily life. The Gieses depict how Troyes grew from a small, insignificant Roman fort to a burgeoning merchant city. The city hosts numerous trade fairs throughout the year, and it positions itself as a commercial heartland. Wealthy merchants travel from far and wide to trade here, and successful businessmen live in luxurious homes. The poor and farming classes are forgotten about.

Skilled artisans fuel the growth of Troyes’s trading markets. Professions such as weaving, tanning, and glass-making flourish, and talented artists make a comfortable living for themselves. There are more opportunities than laboring on farms and serving feudal lords, although many citizens still do these jobs. Troyes is a socially mobile town where anything seems possible—peasants can quickly rise to the middle classes.

In addition to artisans, scholars are popular, too. The people know more about skilled disciplines, such as mathematics, engineering, and architecture, and new buildings spring up across the city. Everyone works together to make the town prosperous. Many of these impressive buildings still stand today, demonstrating how talented the people were.



With education and culture comes another positive development—leisure. People want to have fun and enjoy themselves. Playwrights, dramatists, writers, and musicians flourish in Troyes. Everyone is open to new ideas and exchanging theories. Although the Christian Church remains important for many years to come, this cultural shift plants the seeds of secularization. People are living longer, happier, healthier lives. They don’t cling to the Christian Church with the same force.

With all this disposable income, the ruling class must find a way to manage it all. The Gieses explains how towns like Troyes govern themselves. The city’s elite pays taxes in exchange for freedom, but their spending power isn’t affected. The ones who suffer are, predictably, those without trades or the peasant class who cannot improve themselves. Although the ruling classes try to keep everyone happy, it is impossible to please them all, and the divide between different social groups grows wider all the time.

Although Life in a Medieval City focuses on this one snapshot in Troyes’s history, the authors do consider why the city later loses its influence. Troyes becomes insignificant once Paris grows in power, and trading routes change. Traders stop moving in and out of Troyes as they once did, and suddenly there is no demand for the skills and crafts on offer. Even the most successful thirteenth-century city isn’t immune to decline.