URBAN SOCIETY

BOURGEOISIE, CITY GOVERNMENT AND CULTURE

THE APPEARANCE OF THE BOURGEOISIE

• The growth of cities transformed feudal society.

• Kings, nobles and clergy conceded more personal freedom and rights to their subjects

• As a result, a new social class was formed: the bourgeoisie.

• The bourgeoisie worked as artisans or traders

• They were not dependent on a feudal lord

There were differences among the bourgeoisie:

HIGH BOURGEOISIE:• Were important traders

and bankers

PETTY BOURGEOISIE:• Were master artisans

and small scale traders

The rich bourgeoisie of Venice built luxurious mansions to live in.CA D’ORO IN VENICE

Other social groups living in cities:Nobles, Clergy and Peasants Minorities such as Jews

Jews worked as doctors, moneylenders or artisans and lived in a separate neighborhood called the Jewish quarter

CITY GOVERMENT

• Cities were governed by magistrates, who worked under the mayor in the areas of finance, order and justice.

• Over time, this resulted in cities being governed by the richest families, who made up a privileged group called urban patricians

CULTURE

• During the 12th century, the bourgeoisie and the nobles began to develop an appreciation for knowledge.

• This appreciation, together with economic and urban growth, led to the development of schools, and later universities

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES

Oxford

SALAMANCA UNIVERSITYLIBRARY

Library University of Salamanca