Figure 1.--The Flenish wool-based weaving industry not only produced textiles for clothing, but also luxurios tapastries, magnificent woks of art. This detail of a tapestry created by an unknowm Fkenish weaver was produced about 1420. UItv depoicts a ballad singer accompanied by a woman organist and a boy looking on.

Weaving was the most important medieval industry in Europe, making the Low Countries the richest provinces in Europe as Europen emerged from the medieval era. Flanders had a long history of textile manufcture. When Ceasar invaded Gaul, the Romans noted the high-quality of cloth woven by the Belgica. Textiles from Flanders entered Roman markets. Flemish cloth in the early middle ages turned up throughout Europe, even in Novgorod -- the developing Tsarist state. As the European economies quicked after the Dark Ages, there was more and more demnd for cloth. Flanders developed as one of the two textile manufacturing center of Europe. The other was northern Italy. And as a result, Flanders becanme the richest provinces (11th century). There were several reasons for that. First, Flemish cloth already had a strong reputation. The population of Flanders included many skilled ctradtsmen. Here the monasteries and abbeys were a factor. Second, the population density forced people supplement agriculture with trades. Third, Flanders was ideal for sheep grazing and wool prioduction. Fourth, urbn centers grew, faster than in the rest of Europe. Rural peasants migrated to the new towns, becomeing weavers, spinners and fullers. The booming towns (Bruges, Ghent and Ypres) became rich cities. The problem for Flanders was that demand for cloth increased, they could not produce enough wool to supply the weavers. There was just not enough land. Fifth, this led to another Flemish advantage--they were close to England. Land transport was very difficult. Roads hardly existed and even where they did, moving producrs any distance over land was very expensive. Fortuantely for Flanders, they were located close to England which also offered ideal conditions for grazing sheep. And the wool could be cheaply dellivered by sea transport. The English has been producing wool for their own domestic use, very little was sold abroad. As demand for wool grew in Flanders, the weavers were able to find the wool they needed in England and willing to pay attractive prices. This lasted for several centuries, but began to decline with the Hundred Years War and the English mkomnarchy's crippling taxes (16th century).

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Created: 9:22 AM 6/14/2021
Last updated: 9:22 AM 6/14/2021