Towns were usually very crowded, dirty, smelly, and unhealthy. In the centre stood the marketplace, the main church or cathedral, and other important buildings. Small shops opened onto the streets, and craftsmen sat and worked in full view of the passers-by. The houses were tall and narrow, with the top floors jutting out over the streets below. Rotting heaps of garbage filled the streets. | | In the Middle Ages many of the big towns and cities, such as Paris, were built on rivers. |
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