Every Major Medieval City Explained in 31 Minutes...

Many medieval cities were important centres for politics, education and religion. Most of them were connected by trade and culture. They grew from towns in the middle ages into the global centres that we know today. Some are still famous for their success in innovation and business, others for the countless numbers of tourists that are attracted to their architecture and history. So today we're going to look at some of the most significant and beautiful medieval cities in the world. So you think you know everything about knights, castles and kings? Well hold on to your chainmail because we're starting a history channel all about the Roman Empire. Now I know what you're thinking, wait, Roman Empire, isn't that before my favourite medieval legends? Well yes, but stick with me. Rome is where it all started. From the fall of the mighty empire to the rise of your medieval knights, it's a story that's all connected. So if you're ready to learn about this incredible time period, join the toga party over at our new channel, The Roman Empire. It's going to be totally worth the detour in your historical journey, so I'll leave a link to it in the description below. And now for today's video, welcome to Medieval Madness. Constantinople, Turkey. The city was in an advantageous position for trade with access to the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. To the west, routes could reach the whole of mainland Europe and to the east, the Middle East and Asia. Its position on a peninsula in the Bosphorus Strait also meant that the city had great military strength and could be easily defended from all fronts. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Constantinople was to carry on the legacy of Rome. Founded by Constantine the Great in 330, by the early Middle Ages, Constantinople became the focus for the Eastern Roman Empire, with its Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ruling from the city. Constantinople had a population of 1 million people by the 6th century, and it was during this time that Justinian built the Christian Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Sophia. Now known as the Hagia Sophia, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine art. From the 9th to the 12th centuries, Constantinople's economy boomed as Italian and Arab merchants traded spices and silks. However, the city endured many changes, sieges and battles. During the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, the Crusader Knight Joffrey of Vilhadoin described how the Venetians were awestruck by its beauty, saying, quote, For they never thought there could be in all the world so rich a city. In the 1330s, the pilgrim Ludolf of Sukhum said it was, quote, An exceedingly beautiful and very great city. Weakened by Crusades, military defeats, earthquakes and the Black Death, Constantinople fell to the Muslim Turks in 1453 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Now known as Istanbul, the city straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, and with a population of over 15 million people, is one of the largest cities in the world. Baghdad, Iraq The city was designed by Caliph al-Mansur and founded in 762. Al-Mansur built the round city at its core as the official residence of the Abbasid court. Officially named City of Peace, the famous House of Wisdom library was located in its grounds. Half a million people lived in the city by the end of the 8th century. Over the next 200 years, the population increased to 1 million as Baghdad became the political and cultural centre of the Middle East. According to the scholar al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, quote, There was no other round city known in all the regions of the world. From its inception, Baghdad had wide avenues, aqueducts, sewage systems, gardens and public squares. The city even had its own police force with a police chief who lived in the Caliph's palace. During the Islamic Golden Age of the 9th and 10th centuries, it was Baghdad that saw many breakthroughs and achievements within its libraries and universities. Scholars from all over the Muslim world flocked to Baghdad to bring together all the knowledge from their conquered civilizations. They became trailblazers, expanding on the sciences of the ancients to excel in law, theology, medicine and mathematics. The city also became rich as a key stopover on the profitable Silk Road trade route that connected China to Europe. Once the crown jewel of the Muslim world, after the 10th century, the city began to decline along with the Abbasid Caliphate during the Persian Renaissance in the 9th to 11th centuries. In the invasion of the Mongols in 1258, Baghdad was sacked and large sections of the city were destroyed, including the irrigation system of canals and dikes, a blow from which the Islamic civilization never fully recovered. Marrakech Often referred to as the Red City because of its red sandstone buildings, Marrakech sits in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, North Africa. It was founded in 1070 by the Muslim dynasty of Al-Muravid that ruled over a large part of Al-Andalus or Muslim Spain along with Northwest Africa. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr ibn Umar, Marrakech was established as their capital. Its location made it the perfect centre for communication and trade between the Mediterranean, Europe and the Sahara Desert. The Al-Muravids built palaces, mosques and military fortifications, making Marrakech a major player in commerce and culture. The Qatara, an underground irrigation system, allowed the city to flourish in what is essentially a dry environment. The Al-Muravid dynasty felled the Almohads in 1147 and they too made Marrakech their capital. The city continued to develop with the Almohads responsible for much of the city's classic architecture, including the Kotobia Mosque. With its towering minarets, the mosque remains an iconic example of Almohad architecture. The centre of the city was turned into a hub of religious learning with a network of schools and madrasas. By the late 13th century, however, the city fell into decline as the Almohad empire weakened. With the rise of the Maronid dynasty, Fez became the new capital, although Marrakech remained an important city for trade. Today, the city is a global cultural hub. Bruges, Belgium It was in 873 that Baldwin I, Count of Flanders, first arrived in the region. Along with his wife, he settled on Burg Square. With his contacts and the fact that Bruges was connected to the sea and in such a great location for trading, the town began to evolve into an international port. Bruges was famous for its processed woolen fabric, known as Flemish cloth, and from the 11th century this greatly boosted the local economy. The population soon grew, especially when Italian merchants chose Bruges as a base for their trade in Northern Europe at the end of the 13th century. Merchants arrived from all over Europe and new buildings were constructed, such as St John's Hospital, Market Square, the belfry with its city halls, and several churches. Bruges was also home to the world's first stock exchange. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, the city reached its golden age and in 1429 became home to the famous Flemish painter Jan van Eyck along with many other artists and artisans. Rich merchant families made and spent vast amounts of money in the city, making it a centre for luxury goods and a hub for international trade. It became home to around 60,000 inhabitants at its height before trade drifted away around the year 1500 when the Zwin channel, known as the Golden Inlet, began to silt up. Today, the city attracts around 8 million visitors every year. Florence, Italy In 774, the town was conquered by Charlemagne and made part of the Carolingian Empire. Margrave Hugh the Great of Tuscany initiated the golden age of Florentine art when he chose to live in the city around the year 1000. Work began on the Bacilla di San Miniato al Monte in 1013, said to be one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany. From the beginning of the 10th century, Florence became wealthy and an important political power. However, its revival was interrupted in the 13th century when two main factions, the Gulf supporters of the Pope and the Ghibelline supporters of the German Emperor, vied for power. The Gulfs were victorious and with the aristocracy weakened, the merchants and their guilds became a new social class. Florence became the most powerful and prosperous city in Tuscany and began to mint its own gold currency in 1252, the florin. There were around 17,000 beggars in the city in 1338, and six primary schools teaching some 10,000 pupils, some of them were even girls. Four high schools taught 600 students literature and philosophy. From 1434, the Medici rose up to be the most influential family in Florence. Lorenzo de' Medici was a great patron of the arts, who commissioned works by da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. Because of the surge in the arts, science and literature, Florence was said to be the cradle of the Renaissance. Its reputation during the 14th to 16th centuries helped to build a wealthy economy based on trade and banking. Today, Florence is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and many of its medieval buildings such as the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, Palazzo Vecchio and the Pitti Palace and Ponte Vecchio still stand. York, England The Angles settled here in the 5th century, and by the early 7th century, York was an important centre for the Northumbrian kings. 100 years later, the city was an active commercial hub with trading links to the Rhineland, the Low Countries, Northern France and other areas of England. An army of Danish Vikings captured York in 866 and ruled the area. It became known as the Kingdom of Jorvik. Despite the Vikings being referred to as the Great Heathen Army, many churches were built in York during the Viking Age, including the 11th century St Olav's on Marygate. Many more were built in the later medieval era. After the Norman conquest in 1066, York took a battering during the harrying of the North in what has been described by one medieval historian as an act of genocide. Two castles were built, one on either side of the River Ouse. York became an important trading centre and was the alternative administrative seat of royal government in the North with its own archbishop, second only to the one in Canterbury. York grew to be a city of great wealth by the end of the Middle Ages. It had no fewer than 31 hospitals, including St Leonard's, the largest in the north of England, part of St Mary's Abbey. The magnificent Gothic Minster was finally completed in 1472 and managed to survive the English Reformation in the 16th century. Hangzhou, China It's likely that this city, one of the seven ancient capitals of China, became one of the largest cities in the world during the 12th century. Its position at the end of the Grand Canal and directly within the Silk Road trading route was paramount to its success. During the 10th century, the city was named Shifu and was one of the three great bastions of culture. In 1132 and renamed Lin'an, the city became the new capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. The city walls were 30 feet high and 10 feet thick at the base, built from tamped earth and stone. The Italian explorer, Udric of Pordenone, called it, quote, the greatest city in the world, with its 13 gates and 12,000 bridges, as did Marco Polo, who marvelled at its paved streets and numerous bridges. Despite its large population of one million people, Hangzhou thrived and there was an abundance of rice, bread and pork. Arab merchants chose to reside in the city because maritime trade was more popular than land trade at that time. The city became the seat of central government and attracted some of the most celebrated learned men of the Middle Ages, including philosophers and politicians. The scientist, Shen Kuo, lived and died in Hangzhou, along with three of the most famous poets in Chinese history, Qin Qi, Lu You and Su Shi. In 1276, the Mongol invasion besieged and captured the city, and the Southern Song Dynasty collapsed three years later. Today, Hangzhou is no longer a capital. It has a population of around 10 million people and is still an important economic centre, successful in both rice and silk production. Nishapur, Iran First founded in the 3rd century under the rule of Shapur I, Nishapur in northeast Iran was the capital of the Sassanid Empire. Despite being an inland city without any form of water transport, Nishapur grew from a territory of around 17 hectares in the 6th century to about 680 hectares by the beginning of the 11th. The city became the Abbasid Caliphate's second largest metropolis, with a population of over 150,000 in the year 1000. After Muslim forces conquered the city in the 8th century, General Abu Muslim became governor of the area and chose Nishapur as his capital. He initiated a large building program, bringing growth to the city, which flourished into a significant intellectual, cultural and commercial centre in the Islamic world. Again, sitting along the lucrative Silk Road, Nishapur produced and traded high-quality, high-valued cotton, silks and other textiles. However, the city met the same fate as Baghdad when the Mongols came along in 1221 and destroyed the entire city in 10 days. Paris, France Before the Capetian kings decided to rule France from the Isle de Cité in 937, Paris was no more than an insignificant little city. Then came the Royal Palace, the first covered market of Les Halles, the Saint Chapel and the building of Notre Dame in 1163, as Paris became the centre of administration and justice in France. Taking over 100 years to build, the cathedral wasn't completed until 1345. Paris was the first city to develop gothic-style architecture. Now, the metropolis began to develop and flourish, not just politically but also in areas of education, religion and trade. On the left bank stood important monasteries, such as the Abbey of Saint-Geneviève and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, along with the university. Named the Sorbonne and established in 1247, it is thought to be the second oldest university in Europe. On the right bank were the ports, markets and merchants who did business there, making the city into a prosperous trading centre. King Philip II of France, called Philip Augustus, built stone walls around the city in 1190 to protect it against military attack, before leaving for the Third Crusade. He also oversaw the construction of the Louvre Palace, now the world-famous art museum. By the 14th century, Paris was enlarged by Charles V's walls and many former suburbs were now contained within the city. In 1328, the census counted over 61,000 households within the city limits, with an estimated population of somewhere between 220,000 and 270,000 inhabitants. Under the Capetian influence, Paris thrived and became the cosmopolitan city that we know and love today, with around 50 million tourists visiting every year, and a population of almost 2.5 million. During the Middle Ages, Paris survived several hardships, including sieges and the Black Death, when the city lost around a third of its population, to be described as the most important city in Western Europe. Gangakunda Cholapuram, India Between the 10th and 13th centuries, Gangakunda Cholapuram was the capital city of the powerful Chola dynasty, rulers of large parts of Sri Lanka and southern India. First built on the orders of Rajendra I, the city seems to have had two fortifications, one inner and the other outer. The outer was probably wider. The remains of the outer fortification can be seen as a mound running all around the palace. A Hindu temple, completed in 1035, once part of a complex and dedicated to the god Shiva, still stands at the site, but the multi-storied royal palace now lies in ruins. At the peak of its power, Gangakunda Cholapuram was home to about 30,000 people. After the Chola dynasty was brought down in 1279, the city went into a state of decline. Angkor, Cambodia The Angkorian period began around 800 AD. Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, was thought to be the city of god Kings, early incarnations of the Hindu god Shiva, and was at the heart of the empire for almost 600 years. The empire became rich by operating the trade route through Indonesia, between China and India. Between the years 900 and 1200, some of the most magnificent architecture in the world was created in Angkor. The city was huge, with an area of over 1,000 square kilometres, or 390 square miles. Some 72 major temples can be found within the main area, with over 100 minor sites scattered further away. The city rivaled anything that exists today, with wide roads, an intricate irrigation system, public hospitals, schools, and the world's largest man-made reservoir taking advantage of monsoon season. The organisation of water meant that the city could provide bountiful harvests of rice to feed the people. The site is famous for the central temple complex of Angkor Wat, which is now a popular tourist site. The temple was completed in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II. The temple city was mysteriously abandoned sometime in the 15th century, although many historians believe that a series of natural disasters led to Angkor's abandonment. Tenochtitlan, Mexico From the 14th to the 15th centuries, Tenochtitlan, arguably the biggest metropolis in pre-Columbian America, served as the capital of the growing Aztec Empire. Located on an island in the centre of Lake Texcoco, it included royal palaces, temples, marketplaces, and other public structures that benefited the Aztec populace and added to the city and the empire's wealth. With Tenochtitlan as its hub, the Aztec Empire had a vast network of trade. In 1521, when Spanish conquistadors reached the bustling city, they found a vast complex of canals, bridges, towers, and buildings, which included zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums, ruled by the Emperor Moctezuma II. The Spanish overran the city and made it part of the Viceroy of New Spain. Modern-day Mexico was built around the historic ruins. Valletta, Malta The peninsula that stood between two harbours on the east of the island had only one building, a watchtower built by the Order of Saint John, also known as the Knights of Malta, in 1488. In 1522, the Fort Saint Elmo was built in its place. In the Great Siege of 1565, the fort fell to the Ottomans, but with the help of the Sicilians, the order won it back, and Grand Master Jean de Valais used his victory to build a new fortified city to protect the island. The city was named after him. De Valletta asked the kings and princes of Europe for help and was provided with the military engineer Francesco La Pirelli, sent by Pope Pius V to build a city by gentlemen for gentlemen. The project was financed by King Philip II of Spain. Both men wanted to maintain Christianity on the island and defend it against the Ottoman Turks. Most European cities took centuries to evolve, but Valletta was to be constructed on a completely new site and became the most southerly capital in Europe. Valletta's street planning is unique because it's based on a modern grid system to allow the air to circulate and accommodate water and sanitation. In a bid to keep it safe, some of the streets fall away steeply at the rear of the city, making it harder for any enemy troops to attack. Special stairs were built so that knights wearing heavy armour could climb the steps. When La Pirelli left in 1570, his assistant Girolamo Cassa designed and supervised the building of Sacra Infermia, the Magisterial Palace, St John's Church and the seven auberges or inns of residence of the knights. Sadly, many of Valletta's historic buildings were damaged or destroyed during World War II when Nazi fighter planes heavily bombarded the city. In fact, the Maltese people were collectively awarded the George Cross in 1942 by King George VI of England for their bravery during the conflict. Oxford, England First settled by the Anglo-Saxons, Oxford became a busy crossing point for people, goods and animals because the River Thames splits into many shallow channels there. In the 10th century, it became a military frontier town between the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. Many Danes were killed in Oxford in 1002 on the orders of Æthelred the Unready, which helped to contribute towards King Svein I of Denmark's invasion of England in 1003. Oxford was sacked a year later. The city's status was enhanced when King Henry II granted the citizens a charter, giving them the same privileges and exemptions as the people of London. The liberty remained until the 19th century. During the Norman invasion in 1066, Oxford took considerable damage and its castle was built shortly after. Various important houses were founded in or around the city and Henry's two sons were born there at Beaumont Palace, built just outside the North Gate. The university is first mentioned in records from the 12th century as there were magistrate teaching there in 1120 and it soon came to overshadow everything else in the town, especially when it came to the town and gown conflicts, when there was violence between the non-academic and university communities. During the 13th century, parliaments were often held in the city and led by Simon de Montfort. The provisions of Oxford were begun by a group of barons. The manuscripts are often considered the first written constitution of England. Jerusalem One of the oldest cities in the world, the part known as the City of David was likely settled in the 4th millennium BCE. During the 12th century, Jerusalem was home to around 30,000 citizens and just 5,000 by the 16th century. Pretty small in comparison to some of our other cities. However, as far as religious importance goes, Jerusalem packed a huge punch among the Christian, Muslim and Jewish people as it is considered holy by all three of the Abrahamic religions. And sadly, just as it still does today, in the middle ages this led to a load of religious conflict. It has been besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, attacked 52 times and destroyed at least twice throughout its long history. Jerusalem was one of the Arab Caliphate's first conquests in 638 and prospered in the early centuries of Muslim rule. The Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, was built on the Temple Mount sometime around 691. In the 10th century, the geographer Al-Histaqari described the city as quote, the most fertile province in Palestine. There was religious tolerance for a while until in the early 11th century the Caliph ordered all churches to be destroyed. Then in 1071 Jerusalem was captured by the Turks. In 1099 it was captured by the Christian Crusaders and almost all Muslim and Jewish inhabitants were massacred. It then became the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was rebuilt and the Dome of the Rock was converted for Christian purposes along with other Muslim shrines. The Knights Templars and Hospitallers grew out of the need to protect Christian pilgrims on their 12th century travels to the city. In 1182 Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin and stayed under Islamic control until it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517. Kyoto, Japan In the 8th century the powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the Imperial Government and Emperor Kanmu of Japan decided to relocate the capital away from their influence. He named the new city Heian-kaiyo meaning tranquility and peace capital. It became the seat of the Japanese Imperial Court in 794 and remained Japan's capital city until 1869 when the court transferred to Edo now known as Tokyo. The Imperial Palace was built in the centre with the main road dividing the city into right and left. There were no city walls. It was plotted out as a square in accordance with the principles of geomancy divided up into lines of major and minor streets. This grid layout was based on the Chinese Tang Dynasty model. The positioning of the Imperial Palace at the centre was to protect it from evil spirits as well as from outside attacks. However this didn't stop the ruling Taira clan from being defeated which in turn ushered in the Kamakura period in 1192 and moved Japan away from Imperial rule to the new Samurai warrior class. It was during this time that Kyoto's five great Zen temples of the Gozen Mountain system were built in 1202. Emperors and Shoguns alike spent vast amounts of money on the infrastructure and buildings in the city and Kyoto was able to amass wealth as it traded with other coastal cities despite being deep inland. Today Kyoto is still recognised as a centre for ancient Japanese culture and the birthplace of many of Japan's traditional arts. Cordoba, Spain As part of the Byzantine Empire, Cordoba was conquered by the Visigoths in the late 6th century. Around 711 the city was captured by the Muslims and governed directly by Arab rule. At its centre was the old walled Medina and the Great Mosque was completed in 786. From 929 Cordoba became the capital of the Caliphate in the Iberian Peninsula. Over time suburbs grew around the city. In the 9th century it is estimated that the population was as great as 160,000. It became one of the most advanced cities in the world with a great political, cultural and financial centre. Famous as a learning hub, Cordoba was home to over 80 libraries and learning establishments. The economy was prosperous too with trade and the manufacturing of goods such as glazed tiles and with agricultural produce and textiles such as cotton and silk. In the centre of Cordoba were 11 palaces and according to the Muslim historian Ezra al-Razi it was, quote, surrounded by many beautiful estates. It has been estimated that by the beginning of the 11th century the population had reached as many as one million. In 1236 Ferdinand III of Castile entered the city following a siege of several months and the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Pope Gregory XI hailed Ferdinand as a champion of Christ. Avignon, France In the early middle ages this city in the south of France which sits on the banks of the Rhône suffered greatly from barbarian invasions. Despite further sieges and invasions by the Moors and the Franks, Avignon was able to flourish with the development of trade aided by a strategic position and Pont d'Avignon being built over the Rhône in 1234. It is the era of the popes that dominated Avignon's history and their presence made the city the capital of the medieval western world in the 14th century. From 1309 until 1377 the Catholic Pope chose to reside there rather than in Rhône. Pope Clement V believed that Rhône was too dangerous so he moved the papacy to where he felt safe under the rule of a loyal French king. The popes commissioned several buildings, the most notable being the great Gothic Palais de Papess or Papal Palace, constructed in the mid 14th century and covering an area of 3 acres. The city became a builder's dream with huge areas made into public squares and 3 miles of walls built to protect the mansions and residences that were constructed for the cardinals and administrators. Avignon's population quickly soared from just 6 to 25,000 during the papal period. The Avignon papacy continued for another 7 popes, then Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rhône. However a split soon occurred and two popes ruled at the same time, one in each city. This schism continued until the 15th century. Today around 16,000 people live in the ancient town centre within the medieval city walls and Avignon is a major centre for tourism. Venice, Italy It was in the 8th century that the Carolingian Empire Charlemagne recognised Venice as Byzantine territory and granted the city trading rights along the Adriatic coast. As the community continued to develop and Byzantine power waned, the city's own autonomy grew, leading to eventual independence. Between the 9th and 12th centuries, the Republic of Venice became a powerful maritime empire. Built on a group of islands that are separated by expanses of open water and canals, Venice lies directly between Constantinople and Western Europe, with access to the Mediterranean Sea. The city-state was ideally situated for trade and is considered by many to be the greatest maritime power in the Middle Ages. Venice was ruled by a Doge, or Duke, who was elected by the Great Council, a sort of chief executive who stayed in power until his death. Although essentially a republic, the city was ruled by the oligarchs of the merchant classes. By the late 13th century, Venice was the richest city in all of Europe, with 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating the Mediterranean. During the Renaissance, Venice's leading families competed with each other and other Italian cities to support the work of the greatest artists and build the largest palaces. Venice remained predominantly Roman Catholic but was noted for its freedom from religious persecution, as no one was executed there for heresy. The newly invented German printing press spread throughout Europe in the 15th century and by 1482, Venice had become the printing capital of the world. But the city's decline as the centre of international commerce had begun, as Portugal became Europe's principal go-between in trade with the East. Thank you so much for watching today's episode of Medieval Madness. I do hope you've enjoyed it, and please do let me know if you've been to any of the cities or if there's any other important medieval cities that we've missed off this list. If you did enjoy the video, you can really help us out by subscribing to the channel, as we do release a new video every Friday. So until then, I hope everyone has an absolutely amazing week. Cheers!