As a kid I was fascinated with dragons (I still am), and knights.and swords.and castles, and yes magic.

Read moreįor as long as I can remember, I have been interested in both medieval life and culture – the way in which people of the era lived, survived and managed their day-to-day lives. As the Gieses take us through the day-to-day life of burghers, we learn the customs and habits of lords and serfs, how financial transactions were conducted, how medieval cities were governed, and what life was really like for a wide range of people.įor serious students of the medieval era and anyone wishing to learn more about this fascinating period, Life in a Medieval City remains a timeless work of popular medieval scholarship. Merchants and money men from all over Europe gather at Troyes to buy, sell, borrow, and lend, creating a bustling market center typical of the feudal era. European civilization has emerged from the Dark Ages and is in the midst of a commercial revolution. The year is 1250 CE and the city is Troyes, capital of the county of Champagne and site of two of the cycle Champagne Fairs-the “Hot Fair” in August and the “Cold Fair” in December. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.Įvoking every aspect of city life in the Middle Ages, Life in a Medieval City depicts in detail what it was like to live in a prosperous city of Northwest Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

From acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies comes the reissue of their classic book on day-to-day life in medieval cities, which was a source for George R.R.

Life in a Medieval City by Joseph Gies