Hostility Against the Jews in Medieval France
In France, as in other European regions, the medieval era saw changing and contradictory attitudes towards the Jews, who were alternately tolerated and persecuted.
Running Naked in the Streets: Repression of Adultery in the Later Middle Ages
Adultery was a serious crime in the Middle Ages, where marriage was sacred, indissoluble, and monogamous.
Affection, Indifference, Violence: The Bonds between Servants and Masters in Medieval Montpellier
The records from southern France can reveal much about domestic servants in the Middle Ages. What can they tell us about the relationship between these servants and their masters?
Working Conditions in a Medieval City: Employers and Domestic Workers in Montpellier
Who employed domestic servants? And under what terms?
Who worked as servants in the Middle Ages?
A look at the women, men and children who worked as domestic servants in medieval southern France, based on hundreds of records from in and around the city of Montpellier.
The Management and Daily Life of a Medieval Hospital
This article looks at the late medieval hospitals of the kingdom of France at the end of the Middle Ages and asks how they were managed, how large they were, and what daily life was like in these charitable institutions.
An Anchoress Burned at the Stake
Catherine Sauve’s time as an anchoress in Montpellier was brief, but it ended with her execution. Why was she burned at the stake?
Medieval Calendars and the Labours of the Months
How were medieval calendars and the labours of the months organized, and what do they tell us about visual representations of the peasantry?
The Early Medieval Hospital
The birth and rise of a charitable institution in Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
The Most Common (and Uncommon!) Medieval Names in Southern France
Here are the top three names for medieval men and women in southern France, as well as some of the more uncommon names you could find in the region.
Learning to Read and Write: Women’s Education in the Middle Ages
This article explores the ins and outs of female literacy in the Middle Ages.
Illegitimate children in the Middle Ages
The stories of illegitimate children in the Middle Ages are often told through the lives of famous bastards, the daughters and sons of kings and noblemen, like William the Conqueror, born of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and his mistress Herleva. But what do we know about the illegitimate children of common people?
Corrupted Air and Water: Pollution in Medieval Cities
When poop and entrails filled the Thames. Dealing with urban pollution in the Middle Ages.
Peasant Kids at Work: Apprenticeship and Service in the Middle Ages
What trade should the child of a medieval peasant learn?
Old Age and Poverty in the Middle Ages
What happened to elderly individuals deprived of resources and family?
Five How-To Guides for Medieval Peasants
A shortlist of agronomy treatises from China to England.
Who was part of the medieval family?
A look at the size, concepts and members of the family and household in the Later Middle Ages.
How to go to the toilet, medieval style?
A history of not-so-private privies in the Middle Ages.
The 5 Most Common Jobs in a Medieval City
The five most common jobs were farming, carpentry, butchery, shoemaking and Church-related work.
Medieval Confraternities: Prayers, Feasts, and Fees
We can examine what were medieval confraternities by focusing on those the existed in the towns and cities of Southern France.
Summer in the Middle Ages
When air conditioning was not yet a thing – how people in the Middle Ages coped with the summer months.
How Large were Medieval Peasant Families?
Looking specifically at late medieval Western Europe, this article examines how large families actually were.
Vintage Fashion: Second-Hand Clothing in Medieval France
This article sheds light on the circulation of second-hand clothing in the southern French city of Montpellier and its immediate surroundings in the late medieval period, by looking at the sale of used clothing and donations of second-hand clothes.
Were medieval cities greener? Urban agriculture in the Middle Ages
This article looks at the urban farmers of medieval France and discusses the roles of the gardens that were found throughout medieval cities.