Rise of The Medieval City
Downfall of the Roman Empire
•Feudal Wars
•Rise of Christianity
•Dark Ages
•Internal Disputes: Disintegration
into E & W Empires (E- greek
orthodox church, W-Liberal
roman church)
•Rise of Byzantium as the Capital
with Christianity as State Religion
(AD. 323)
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Rise of The Medieval City (dark ages)
Medieval Period :Post Roman – Pre-Renaissance
Fall of Rome 5th cent. AD Renaissance began in 15th cent AD
Arch. Divisions: Romanesque &Gothic
Town planning: Early Medieval (dark ages upto 1000 AD ) &
Mature Period-1000AD Gothic Revival . Distinct Town Patterns Evolve.
Rise of Christianity and Equality, brotherhood led to the
formation of the medieval city
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Rise of The Medieval City-2
•Parallel to World Conquests
•Monasticism spread thro’ Italy to Europe
•Practiced in Catacombs
•Subterrranean Chambers
•As Commerce grew, University Towns came up (eg.
St. Gall)
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Rise of The Medieval City-4
•Feudalism declined and the merchantile town grew.
•Christianity a simple idea of kindness
•Growth of a monastic order to contemplate in the remote
landscapes,preservation of civilization thro’out the Dark Ages.
•Great Philosophers: St Augustine (354-430AD), St. Thomas
Aquinas(1126-98 AD), Muslim of Cordova(1225-74AD).
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Rise of The Medieval City-5
Missionary Architecture: Planning under Monasticism
1. Applied to closed community
2. Precise timetable for activities.
3. Introduction to Agricultural farms.
4. Eg. St. Gall, Assissi Sacred Landscapes, Brittany: St. Michael,
Russia: St. Joseph Vokolamsk
5. Places of prayer: Abbeys most important.
(Pointed Arch, church steeples, pointing to heaven).
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Rise of The Medieval City-6
Early Medieval City
Principle Features:
Church Square, Castle.(SIENNA)
Town and Country strong demarcation
Moat, crenallated walls, fortifications, Finite sized.
Buildings packed wrt open spaces, poor hygiene with growth
and therefore decline.eg. Carcassone, Noerdlingen.
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Rise of The Medieval City-7
Church
Medieval Town -SIENA Campo
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Rise of The Medieval City-8
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Rise of The Medieval City-9
Later Medieval City- VENICE , PISA ,FLORENCE
•Church square becme the Market Square.
•13-14 century: Bastide towns(strict geometry of plan form)
•Colonial Cities for military security and trade.
•Monastery towns were a parallel development (Bologna
1200 AD,Italy, Paris, Cambridge 1300 AD).Church assisted
by wealthy merchant class estd. Hospices
healthcare,philanthropy part of medieval city.
•Colourful Life: Merchant of Venice, Pageantry, Fun ,
informal human environment.
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Rise of The Medieval City-10
Later Medieval
City- VENICE ,
PARIS ,FLORENCE
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Decline of The Medieval City-1
Principal Causes:
•Population, Overcrowding PARIS grew 100,000-240,000 Florence
45,000-90,000,Venice crossed 200,000
•Physical size of city could not support population outburst
•Wheeled travel increased congestion,open spaces in the city eaten
up by factories. Gar de Le’eau’,‘Gardo loo’ which meant excreta
waste dumped into strrets, all windows shut.(Merchant of Venice).
•No sewage disposal , all waste onto streets:epidemic Black Death
of 1400 AD
•No sewage disposal , all waste onto streets: epidemic Black Death
of 1400 AD
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Decline of The Medieval City-2
Florence Oliver Twist
Nightingale
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Decline of The Medieval City-3
Principal Causes(cont.) Florence Nightingale Charles DickensOliver Twist
•World Travel Increased therefore movement of goods
and people :Trade. Rise of Merchantilism as roads were
safe and military aggression almost nil.
•Merchantilism brought in more coke ovens, factories,
production hikes, greater job opportunities,household
industries, more craftsmen required to match demand of
goods.
•Growth of congestion , slums, unhygienic work conditions
in the absence of labour laws/Labour rights/minimum
wages.
•Land as a sole money valued entity declined.Trade
power rose.Church power consolidated.Serfdom
declined. 13
