What types of villages became popular in the Middle Ages?
What types of villages became popular in the Middle Ages? What type of village became common during the Middle Ages? What types of villages became popular in the Middle Ages?
4 Answers
This is quite a difficult question. At that time, they were quite small, just like now and then in Poland, where there were several dozen people. Farms were probably a bit bigger then than they are now.
In the Middle Ages, streets, neighborhoods and oval buildings became more common.
In the Middle Ages, two types of villages were most often established in Poland: fields and forest fiefs.
The lowland villages were concentrated around a square or a street and were divided into oval, neighborhoods, streets, multi-roads and widlice.
In turn, the villages of forest fiefs may stretch for kilometers along the road and are mostly found in the foothills of Silesia and Lesser Poland.
In the Middle Ages, various types of villages became popular, which differed in terms of spatial organization, functions and ownership. Here are some of the most common types of villages in middle ages:
1. Servant (peasant) villages
In such villages, the peasants were tied to the land and had to perform various types of work for the feudal lords. In return, they received protection and a place to live.
2. Rental villages
In this case, the peasants paid their feudal lords rent for the use of the land. Rent was usually paid in natural form, such as grain, cattle or wool.
3. Independent villages
These were villages that did not depend on any feudal lords and had their own organization. The inhabitants of these villages had greater autonomy and could make their own decisions about their lives.
4. Church villages
In such villages, the land belonged to the church and the peasants were obliged to pay tithes. The church served both a religious and an economic function in such villages.
5. Craft villages
These were villages dominated by one craft group, such as blacksmiths, weavers or potters. In such villages, craftsmen could use mutual help and exchange experiences.
6. Villages located under German (foundation) law
these were villages founded on the basis of special privileges. In such villages a regular spatial layout was introduced, e.g.
Of course, the above types of villages may differ depending on the region or historical times. It is worth noting, however, that these basic categories help us understand the way villages functioned in the Middle Ages.
