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Europe's urban landscape experienced a major change between 1450 and 1650, but this wasn't just about cities growing larger. This episode explores how demographic recovery after the Black Death caused a complex geographical shift, with some cities gaining unprecedented importance while others faced long-term decline.

We examine how London grew from a modest market town of 50,000 to a major European city of 400,000, while Amsterdam transformed from a small port into a global commercial hub. Meanwhile, once-powerful Mediterranean cities like Venice and Florence became increasingly marginalized as the center of European influence shifted northward to the Atlantic and North Sea regions.

The episode explores the human stories behind these changes, tracking the migration patterns of about nine million people who moved between Europe's cities during the 16th century. We look at how religious refugees, skilled craftsmen, and rural migrants reshaped urban populations, and how the "putting-out system" established new relationships between cities and the countryside.

This urban transformation had lasting effects, shaping patterns of regional development that influenced European civilization for centuries and laid the groundwork for both the Industrial Revolution and global expansion. The episode shows how this period of selective urban growth created winners and losers across the continent, providing insights relevant to understanding urbanization processes happening worldwide today.

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D