Medieval Government

Palazzo Vecchio, where Florence's government met
(Florence, Italy, 1200's AD)

In the Middle Ages, Europe was divided into many different states. Each state had its own system of government. Some of these, like Denmark, Spain, France or England, were monarchies, and had kings or caliphs to rule them. There were also two empires: the Eastern Roman Empire in Eastern Europe and the Holy Roman Empire that ruled most of Germany and Italy. Some parts of northern Italy were independent city-states with a republican government like ancient Rome.

The main problem with all of these governments was that the kings and emperors of the Middle Ages weren't very powerful. They tried to tell their subjects what to do, but a lot of the time their subjects just said "No" and didn't pay any attention. The western European governments used feudalism to help the king keep control, but often this just caused more problems. In the Italian republics of Florence and Siena, there were a lot of civil wars, when one side wouldn't accept the decision of the majority vote and they fought each other.

Click here to find out more about feudalism in medieval Europe.

To find out more about the Middle Ages, check out these books from your local library or from Amazon:

How Would You Survive in the Middle Ages, by Fiona MacDonald and David Salariya (1997). Funny pictures and text convey real history about the Middle Ages.

Knights & Castles: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience the Middle Ages, by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell (1998). Part of a series of good hands-on activities books.

Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness Books 2004). Not a lot of details, but a good place to start.

You Wouldn't Want to Be in a Medieval Dungeon!, by Fiona MacDonald (2003). Funny tone, but real information. My kids and their friends liked it.

Books about the Middle Ages
Crafts and Projects on the Middle Ages
Teacher's Guides for the Middle Ages
Gifts about the Middle Ages