1. The medieval city: economy and social life

2. The medieval urban order Growth and contraction. IV-VII: retreat; VIII-XI: renewal; XII-XIII: development; XIV-XV: crisis. Natural disasters, epidemic diseases, warfare and political instability. The collapse of the Roman Empire and the role of the Church. Umbalanced territorial division of bishops’ sees. The centrality of the Mediterranean area. The European urban system at the end of the Middle Ages.

3. Europe 500 ac

4. Europe 1400 ac

5. City and countryside The exodus and the return of the elite classes into the city. Food supply for the urban population. Farm land inside the city. The development of abbeys. Markets and fairs. Regional economic growth as a driving force. The Italian cities and their contado.

6. City and long-distance trade The Mediterranean and the Northern routes. Port cities. New international fairs. The role of Italian merchants. The importance of internal economic and commercial dynamics. Urban industries and international trades: woollen- cloth manufacture, silk production, arts and craft. The decline of traditional overland trade route in Europe.

8. City as centre for services The flowering of religious orders and bodies. Bank activities and professional services. Educational centres: schools, libraries, universities. Conflicts with municipal authorities. Retailing and drinking-houses. The organization of merchant guilds.

9. Migrations to the cities Urban development and migrants. Gender balance. The presence of ethnic minorities. Fondaci. Poverty as an urban issue. Physical mobility and social mobility.

10. The urban society The elite classes: landowners and merchants. Farmers and craftsmen. Day labourers, journeymen, the youth and the elderly. The role of the family. Social control and urban order. Neighbourliness. The Black Death. Depopulation and its consequences.