A Rural Society In Medieval France

This volume deals with the evolution of urban and rural communities in Provence and Languedoc in the high and late Middle Ages. Contributions by thirteen French, American, and Canadian scholars address recent insights in historical research and suggest directions for future investigation. The urban and rural worlds are treated separately in studies of the growth of communities in their political, topographical, social, and economic dimensions. Then the intersection of these worlds is explored through the intricate interrelations of town and country in these regions. Notarial registers are particularly rich sources of evidence for these scholars who are mindful of the southern French tradition of Roman and written law which underpinned both urban and rural institutions as they emerged in the course of the medieval period.

This volume provides case studies of the growth of urban and rural communities and their institutions in Languedoc and Provence in the Middle Ages. The importance of a Roman law tradition and the new institutions of the notary and his records are observed in both urban and rural contexts, and interactions between town and country are featured.

This collection gathers a number of scholars to reflect on recent developments in medieval rural history in their respective countries. Each individual contribution surveys recent areas of research, significant results, as well as perspectives for the future. This is meant not only to provide a deeper insight into how medieval rural studies relate to current debates in the social sciences, but also to help understand the connections between specific national historiographic traditions and present-day research issues in their historical context. By comparing different European regions one can see more clearly the similarities and the differences and this is a truer means of constructing syntheses and for identifying fruitful future lines of research.