| Excerpt |
The existence of boroughs and medieval towns is strongly tied to the ruling institution, the central authority being preoccupied by their prosperity through the taxes that entered into its treasuries, but this does not necessarily imply the pre-eminence of the princes in front of the medieval urban centres. The cities of the Romanian Countries enjoyed autonomy from the central authority, which is illustrated by the privileges granted to them by the princes, such as: personal freedom, the right to hold trials, the right to completely own the built surface of the settlement, to use the farming lands surrounding the city and some exemptions from taxes and customs. The problematic of medieval villages does not represent a new approach in Romanian historiography, so our short presentation has only the purpose of outlining a frame in which to insert the specific religious coordinates of the epoch. |
