The Lay of the Land

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines land use in Northern France during the long thirteenth century. This chapter lays a foundation for later chapters in which landscapes described in songs are compared to historical patterns of land use. It provides an overview of the climatic conditions and demographic changes. It compares the land use around urban areas to land use in rural estates. The chapter explores how land use was shaped by identity, with lifestyles conditioning the physical terrain. Cities were surrounded by the fields and vineyards that supplied urban dwellers with bread and wine. Rural estates included non-agricultural areas such as forests, deer parks, and gardens that were important to the self-image of aristocrats.