Land Use

In the medieval countryside, land was the ultimate source of wealth, and its use was strictly tied to the social order. The lord’s own land, the demesne, was cultivated directly for his benefit, while the rest was divided among the peasants. A portion of this land was held by free peasants who paid rent, and another portion was worked by serfs, who were bound to the lord and owed him labour services. This division of land mirrored the rigid hierarchy of the th …