What Was City Life Like in the Middle Ages?

A lot of Medieval cities were similar to ours today in that they had governing bodies, educational structures, bankers, lawyers, hospitals, merchants, and an exchange of goods and services, as well as some extraordinary cathedrals that are still standing today. Though the Medievals themselves were unsure about the advantages of their cities. The English chronicler and monk Richard Devizes wrote about London in the 1190s and said, “Whatever evil or malicious thing that can be found in any part of the world, you will find it in that one city”. So what was life like for these Medieval Metropolitans? Let’s travel back in time and find out.
00:00 Introduction
00:49 City life
01:35 Safety
02:53 Crowded
04:27 Stinky
06:33 Violent
08:44 Business and Culture
🎶🎶 Music by CO.AG: / @co.agmusic
Narrated by James Wade
Written by Lisa E Rawcliffe
Edited by Jamit Productions
Thank you for watching.
DISCLAIMER: All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement is intended. If you are, or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video, and have an issue with the use of said material, please email us at [e-mail]
Copyright © 2023 Top5s All rights reserved. In this video, we've compiled information from a variety of sources, including documentaries, books, and websites, all with the aim of providing an engaging viewing experience. While we strive to ensure accuracy, we acknowledge that there may be variations in the authenticity of the content. We encourage viewers to delve deeper and conduct their own research to corroborate the information presented.

[@jonnyw82]

It’s strangely comforting to know life has always been terrible

[@nateoliver3285]

You think your life is terrible in 2023? LMAO

[@jeremiahlumpkin7601]

@@nateoliver3285what do you mean? Just curious life can be terrible any time.

[@plantainsweetie]

@@nateoliver3285 why does life cease to be terrible just because we’re in the age of technology? technological and medicinal innovation has bettered society but it has also opened up a world of new issues

[@austyn5004]

@@plantainsweetie running hot water and soap makes our lives lignt years better alone

[@wolfzmusic9706]

​@@austyn5004not everybody in the world has that though

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Curfews were began to reduce the risks of fire in cities, not provide security from crime. The word comes from the French couvre-feu, or “cover fire”. At curfew, all were required to cover their fires, by banking or other methods, to prevent sparks escaping and starting fires. Most European cities were built largely of wood and fires could destroy many stone buildings, too, as there was plenty of wood and other flammables in their construction, including inner walls or paneling, floors, ceilings and roofs, as well as their contents, of course.

[@kdubb4953]

Thank you for that information I appreciate it

[@coconutsmarties7916]

Wow, you know some stuff alright. Thank you

[@coconutsmarties7916]

Though having listened to this properly now, he didn't say that this is where the notion of a curfew originated, just that curfews were sometimes used for this purpose. Which I guess is no less true than saying that more recently, curfews were implemented to prevent the spread of covid in some places, etc. So I guess you're both right!

[@Donathon-xt2nl]

Thanks....I learned something new today 😊

[@kdubb4953]

I wish I had someone in my life that could randomly message me interesting facts lol. Learning never gets old.

[@khukri_wielderxxx1962]

I'd imagine it was chaotic (at times), the place for business, also people walking about with various level of hygiene standards, and there was often a weird smell in the air. Much like today.

[@rogerbartlet5720]

Everything smelled like s**t.

[@coconutsmarties7916]

I see you've taken the tube before

[@khukri_wielderxxx1962]

@@coconutsmarties7916 Yup 👍

[@thenathanimal2909]

When I visited London it smelled like human waste at the Camden Lock...so yeah a much smaller San Francisco lol

[@lyndawilliams4570]

Don’t forget the animals and poop everywhere. Let’s be honest - people had no deodorant or our hygiene standard but they were surrounded by smelly things 24 hours a day so I can see how they got used to it. There’s no excuse now but extreme poverty and mental illness

[@user-bu9ju5ic9h]

Want a good read? Try “The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century”. It’s a history book but written to inform you much like modern travel guide does such as what to wear, healthcare places to stay, things to do.

[@roman6135]

Wow! This helps me feel grateful for my clean beatuful apartment, a few blocks from a well stocked market where I can buy anything I want to eat.

[@angel8fingers]

Dude! Your videos have really helped my writing! I appreciate y’all! Great content as usual! Keep up the great work!

[@josephwear9572]

Medicine in the Middle Ages would be a terrific topic especially the switch from sorcery to science. It really took hold right around this time frame.

[@saragrant9749]

Medicine went from sorcery and alchemy to science in the late 180’0s- not during the Middle Ages though. The miasma theory, blood letting, belief in humoral balance, etc. didn’t go away until well into the time of Queen Victoria. It was actually during the last of the major cholera outbreaks that someone put the link between dirty water and the disease together- thus beginning a more modern understanding of disease. Bacteria was discovered in the 1880’s, and the move towards modern medicine began.

[@roman6135]

They burned the herbalist and healers!

[@jimmylim5015]

Whatever happened that we lost the power of sorcery and magic?

[@jessaustin7830]

It wasn't really considered 'sorcery' though. Alchemists were Christian's and while a lot of their theories were related to the law of nature, the belief was that nature was created by a Christian god. Sunflowers, for example, were called such because the flowers were orange-like the sun and followed the sun across the sky. They didn't understand photosynthesis at the time, but saw the relationship between flower and solar energy. Alchemists were trying to understand the myseries of the divine (God) which was, to their understanding, revealing itself in the natural world

[@umbertotine410]

​@@roman6135No.

[@adpink3069]

I love this channel. Amazing job!! Thank you.❤

[@josephwear9572]

9:50 that would be a terrific follow up to this video: guilds. I’ve heard about them in medieval times but never really looked into them.

[@nbenefiel]

I have read thousands of village court rolls. All over Britain, serfs were moving all over the place buying and selling land.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

They didn’t make and ship clothing, those lowland cities spun, often dyed, and wove and shipped bolts of cloth made from English wool. It was always locally made into clothing at its destination, in Europe, or farther (some wool was used for a few non-clothing applications, as well, like cushioning, but mostly local materials like straw were used, good, imported wool cloth was expensive). Pre-made clothing is a modern thing, not a medieval one.

[@SleepyFl0wer]

Ohh shit since you were there tell us more about what you did back in that time? I’m excited to learn about this one 😊😊😊

[@alexandracenuse9419]

Girl you've left 3 comments correcting this man, I have a pet peeve for misinformation as well, but you could've at least put it all in one comment istg

[@alexandracenuse9419]

All you've done is boost his algorithm with your 3 comments

[@plantainsweetie]

why is everyone pissed off that she’s pointing out misinformation and providing us with more accurate information? what’s wrong with accuracy? aren’t you guys interested in learning about history? people are so petty 😂

[@KD400_]

U should make a channel lady. We can all learn from u.

[@bobrobertson9547]

I do like the honesty of the reality of everyday life in the past. Brilliant piece of work. Well done. 👏👍

[@seangilchrist3102]

you have sparked an interest in this era that i didn't know i had. I've always wandered though how did people keep track of who was who and how much money they had in the bank. Who could be trusted not to just steal your wealth? how did the entire country keep seemingly steady enough in the conditions and lack of tech they had with out collapse or god awful corruption?

[@blackkakari]

@seangilchrist3102 People had hiding places in their homes for money.

[@seangilchrist3102]

@@blackkakari they only had 2 rooms lol id find it in seconds haha

[@blackkakari]

@@seangilchrist3102 Yeah, probably. They often buried it.

[@myriamickx7969]

You will be surprised to learn that the first banks and letters of credit were created in medieval times, by Lombards and Jews mostly.

[@maxdout564]

So awesome they kept the records of these murders from so long ago. I'd like to hear more

[@janiscrammond7046]

Always look forward to your videos

[@hennyschneiderbauer855]

I grew up in Germany and every Saturday we had to sweep the streets in front of our house , if not there was peer pressure and fines

[@ctgman]

That is interesting and admirable. I believe you! My grandfather, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy when he was a boy, grew up in a poor NYC tenement in the 1920s. I remember he once told me a story about how a family of German immigrants washed the steps to their building with soap and water. The point of his story was that no matter how poor many immigrants were, they still had pride (the good kind). This is a contrast to what goes on in the American inner-city today.

[@lars4261]

Dangerously based.

[@anniethemese1215]

What a great channel. Thanks. ✌❤🇨🇦

[@Cheddarsoup]

Love your videos man

[@heyjoe9267]

You didn’t mention that serfs were required to work fewer days to fulfill the landowners needs than modern people are to pay their taxes. The landowner was also required to feed his serfs and look out for their welfare. In many ways they were treated far better than many of us are.

[@BradenBest1]

I'm so glad I found this channel

[@Judykag]

I wish these videos were twice as long ❤❤❤❤

[@truthseeker8615]

Just binge watch the channel , I did that over like 3 days and was obsessed

[@jamestarrou3685]

the medieval really went through a sanitation renaissance with their body waste changes. Sounds like seeing people squatting in public was a normal occurrence up until then.

[@Jay-Leigh]

So interesting thank you so much.

[@bobrobertson9547]

Subbed. Love it. 👍

[@shanarniatrice2560]

WOW! I did not know anything about this this is so interesting🤔

[@lilbullet158]

Very informative

[@blackgirlcouchreviews]

Loved it!

[@AIBETTSYIA75]

Just come to Norfolk, not much has changed

[@coconutsmarties7916]

Even since the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre??

[@thegodofsoapkekcario1970]

The people haven’t changed since the Neolithic.

[@claudiaccaa9712]

Cologne Cathedral was "completed" in 1880, not the 16. century. 😎 I'm from Cologne, and here we have a saying that, if the Cathedral (der Kölner Dom) is ever really completed, the world will end. And actually there is constantly work being done on it. Has been so since its so-called completion. :)

[@hennyschneiderbauer855]

And also checking daily to make sure the Dom is still there 😂

[@thenovelcrown]

I could watch these all day lol! 😅

[@nataliapanfichi9933]

Great video.

[@AudieHolland]

Medieval cities got a bad repuation in the history books. Of course, they were dirty but at least city populations were much smaller than in modern times. London, in 1858, had almost 3 million inhabitants and that was when the Big Stink occurred. As during the Middle Ages, the Thames was used as an open sewer but with this many people, it became such a crisis that it led to the construction of the first modern sewers.

[@shauncameron8390]

Yet they every bit as overcrowded.

[@AudieHolland]

@@shauncameron8390We don't know that. It's not just a matter of cramming as much people into tiny houses/apartments. You also require an efficient large scale logistics to keep everyone fed. The major cities like Rome and London would be able to do that, which is why they were so large. But by far most medieval cities were not larger than a big village today. Just look at the historical centers of old cities. In some cases you may still see and old city gate or remnants of a moat, sometimes they built a road in that place but you can tell because the buildings don't look nearly as old beyond that zone.

[@hmmmmm64]

I love your channel!

[@sarah3796]

I love your videos.

[@navelaviator18]

So if you're a serf, go to a city, sign your name, then sneak out of the city. The bailiff or steward then spends all their time in the city looking for you even though you're not there.

[@Novusod]

Only problem is most serfs couldn't sign their own name because they were illiterate.

[@navelaviator18]

@@Novusod yes, I'm sure that's true but the narrator mentions that that's how some runaway serfs got caught... by signing their name when entering a city. I was basing my comment on that.

[@VomicaEmanio]

3:02 I think you really overstated the population of New York. Can't tell if you said 19 million or 90 million, but both are way too high

[@2cool4school1]

thanks gang

[@Jackson-ot3zc]

Came for the fleet foxes cover, stayed for the dope content

[@joeywall4657]

I'm sure it's just as awesome as it sounds.

[@thenathanimal2909]

Big cities don't seem to be good for humanity. Packing humans in so close ignores human nature.

[@sarah3796]

Haha the guy falling out of the window 🤦‍♀️😅

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

Subscribed.

[@NPC-0013]

I really really love these lil documentaries about life in these times!!! So I have started to slowly buy n collect gold. I started at 1 gram about 3 months ago. Now have 8 grams gold and 1 ounce silver with two lil extra bars one 5gram one 10gram. So one and a half ounces of silver and only 8 grams gold. What would this be worth in these times please? Can I buy a loaf of bread or a house? Maybe a horse? It would be super cool to know please mate

[@angelwings1979]

The raw wool would be processed and made into fabric not into clothing. Premade clothes weren’t a thing until the 1800s.

[@dannythekid14]

So most individuals made their own clothes?

[@diegoterneus2250]

The population of NYC is 8,800,000 not 19,000,000. Where did you get that number?

[@lorealiiiii]

he got it from metro area population!

[@norml.hugh-mann]

So.... little bit better than today

[@lorealiiiii]

better now then back then by a king shot as much as now does suck

[@lorealiiiii]

long*

[@tomriddle5564]

It would STINK beyond belief.

[@Norm-ih2rq]

Can you do a video about medieval apartment hunting?

[@spaceman9396]

Pretty funny to see a fleet Foxes album cover as a thumbnail lol

[@madisonleeds3898]

Who else thought this was a Fleet Foxes video

[@Cross-Carrier]

The lack of advertising on this channel is fantastic. See being able to put a video on and know it wont be constantly disrupted by ads, it really makes a difference being able for something to run from start to finish. Take note KZbin.

[@brianmoore493]

Please replace the background music with "if I was a young warthog" thanks😊

[@yasminesacristan5855]

The population of NYC as of 2021 is 8.6 million not 19 million as you stated.

[@MarcUyghur]

Metro area

[@BobQuigley]

Thanks for video! Population of new York city is 8.4 million

[@tbogan5]

I'm curious how you concluded that because London, Ghent and Bruges were in a close trade relationship therefore they had similar populations? I don't quite see the connection between trade relationship and city population. Could you let me know what your pattern of thinking was for that?

[@papabird4425]

Back then, if you had a trade relationship, you had to have equal population. If a man died in London, they had to kill one in Bruges.

[@delilah4637]

​@@papabird4425source? Really nonsense

[@papabird4425]

@delilah4637 you're asking for a source on something that everyone knows but you? Grow up dude. Touch grass

[@delilah4637]

@papabird4425 ah, I thought you were being serious, never mind

[@Nishk118]

A life free from social media fakeness 💀💪

[@VultureClone]

Man beats another man to death for mildly inconveniencing him. Ah, so I see things haven't changed since then.

[@derekforde7164]

Calling your boss a broken down old yokel is a legendary burn.

[@killianhopkins]

The worst bit was all the Skaven, those Gentlerats are always trying to hustle my warpstone...

[@StinkJenson]

New York State has 19 million people. New York City has around 8 million. 3:04

[@MarcUyghur]

New York city metropolitan area including surrounding commuter counties and parts of jersey and CT, 19.77 million

[@slifer0081]

​@@MarcUyghurWhy would you include other states

[@halleylow3615]

NYC has about 8 million residents.

[@HtttpsPaige]

Im curious how they treated infections

[@lorealiiiii]

i think plague tales deals with this topic pretty well, they pretty much didn’t tell anyone and hid infections until it got out of control

[@lisadaniels3509]

Very interesting, but you talked so fast that I had to slow the audio down to 0.75

[@Dr.Pronkzapetto]

Probably cleaner and safer than San Francisco in 2023.

[@fluffyg3137]

Nyc has 8 million as of 2021.....

[@roberterwine7650]

I wonder just how many and how big were the flies ?

[@worldtipper]

Your trade became your surname. 🧐

[@honkey2996]

Can't be any worse than Wales under Drakekefool

[@geronimorex3608]

Overly England focused. Most important cities of the high Middle Ages were in northern Italy and Flanders. They were production cities. Paris was the largest and a major consumption city. English cities were of little consequence in the 11 and 12 hundreds.

[@suntzu94]

That’s all you find when it’s on medieval topics, it’s like the only place that existed was England. I agree the French and Italians were far more advance than the British peasants

[@Jettypilelegs]

But I think the whole channel is oriented towards English history.

[@ulrikeneumann7495]

🥰 London was, has been and always will be the capital of the universe. Most beautiful town that owns my heart and soul ....

[@varolussalsanclar1163]

Id rather live in medieval Valencia, Rome, Athens than modern day NY, London or Paris.

[@jamieroach5755]

no doubt safer

[@Qborg2000]

Go 1 week without using the toilet or taking a shower. I guarantee you you're going to change your mind

[@ImSavedByGraceToo]

😮

[@common12]

NY state has 19 million people not NYC

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

MM = 33. Proof of all CLAIMS are Required.

[@mariavm9178]

New York City does NOT have 19 million people…this video has many inaccuracies.

[@antonboludo8886]

I suppose the average person lived better in Antiquity than in the Middle Ages.

[@nickevershedmusic8927]

How do we apparently know so much about so long ago?! Where is the main proof and evidence coming from?

[@monkeymalletsvideos]

So what has changed?

[@anthonyford411]

Cologne cathedral wasn't finished until the nineteenth century.

[@nickevershedmusic8927]

Damn i thought it would be a lot less

[@covertcounsellor6797]

This sounds like you are describing the wonderful “15 minute cities”. I have to laugh (ironically) because in the earlier version of feudalism, my ancestors were (minor) lords. This time around I, and my family, are eco-peasants.

[@piyushrana585]

What was city life like in the Middle ages in Europe**

[@juniorjames7076]

What did citizens with asthma or allergies do back then??

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

Died

[@shauncameron8390]

They just died.

[@Doctor-vn8es]

So the collecting of rubbish was more frequent in the middle ages than the local councils can manage today.

[@billmago7991]

Well my ancestors survived the middle ages, the industrial revolution two world wars and so far the tech revolution 😅😅😅

[@barryclements4638]

It was much like Adelaide

[@jesus1stmylawislove]

✨ feel fREE to explain it to me like i'm *3* ✨ Hello.. welp help yes you - y'all out there who are my savage "nerd" squad knowing.. things 💀. I need to know, too as a writer ! Medieval Times? haha it's for 1 of my books. Kingdoms how do they work? How can my queen rule over 7 Kingdoms at the same time ? So far i've come to the conclusion that different houses rule in the name of their Queen/King right? +I've also learned Kingdoms basically mean "territory" .. true? Which tells me Kingdoms doesn't always necessary have to be countries.. more like country pieces yes? Please help. Youʼd rule my day

[@user-vg5rv5xf4u]

8:10 😂

[@gmcoates63]

That was a wood mouse, not a rat

[@RD-ij2sz]

You are living in the most happy era . Thanks to scientist and advancement in medical sciences you are free of endemic diseases like polio , plague , cholera etc which wipped off huge population s . In general there is peace and not many wars that used to kill a lot of people . Again due to advancement in agriculture and irrigation there is sufficient food available and people are now not dying due to famines and starvation . This was the scenario in middle ages which you are now free off .

[@adoe2305]

Yet people are more unhappy as ever.

[@RD-ij2sz]

@@adoe2305 Because you don't know how unhappy people were in the other times .

[@adoe2305]

@@RD-ij2sz suicide rates are higher than ever. That gives some idea.

[@petegonad]

Not sure that little cute field mouse caused the Black Death 😂 good bud though 👍

[@johirsty7392]

Lifes always been a crapper

[@saheebsdream]

Come to Haiti and find out.

[@-JA-]

🙂👍

[@davehoward22]

You didn't go out after dark

[@ARedMagicMarker]

4:22 WTF?

[@pietro4772]

Haven't watched this video but definitely better than modern day life in Baltimore or Chicongo living around Basketball Americans.

[@julianjules706]

Actually the Cologne cathedral in Germany wasn't completed until the end of the 19th century 🤪

[@leftofliberals]

That NYC population number is misleading. 19 million is the population of the ENTIRE NYC metro area which includes three states. NYC itself is less than half that.

[@AbuSous2000PR]

the auther excluded Moorish spain from the analysis.. i know he has mentioned Valencia and Barchalona, and those were Morrish cities that became Christian in the late 12th century... maybe later... lookup al Cid Moorish spain had a thriving economy, very large cities, big industries, and center of civilization for almost 800 years. i was surprised to discover that continued to the last minute just before the fall of Grenada. i was surprised to discover that Spain was way more muslim than Syria and Egypt at the time btw... what you described was almost slavery for farmers... this garbage didn't exist in Moorish spain that said, yes the auther is correct, Europe was almist a backwater countries. you will find a few structures that are more than two stories high. Europe took off because of colonialism

[@monikamichaelis-iw3to]

Hahaha, the teapot gives it away.