The Bastides- Architecture

 

                Medieval is a broad expression referencing the period from the end of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance (5^th Century – 15^th Century).  There are common characteristics between medieval cities but since the period was ten centuries many features differ based on geography and the timing of the city. The Bastides will be used as an example of a medieval city. The Bastides are a series of medieval cities located in the southern part of France, starting around the 13^th century. The cities of the Bastides never had a formal plan, but similar patterns emerged from all of them.

                At the entrance of every Bastide was a square, squares were used for commercial transactions and markets. The Squares ranged from sizes of 40x40 to 70x70 meters and the size of the squares were not based on population of the city, but by the economic role of the city. The Bastides were made up of groups of uniformed domestic buildings in a repetitive and regular way, similar to San Fransico. The depth of the houses varies around ten meters, the remaining space is used for a courtyard. Each house was two to three levels; The ground floor used as a multi-functional space and accommodated for all day activities. The upper levels were used for “night space” and it was not unusual for a family to share one room.