Chapter 96 The Development of Towns and Ideas

Chapter 96 The Development of Towns and Ideas

Thanks to the expansion in recent years and the implementation of various agricultural policies, agricultural production in Wallachia has reached new records.

The fertile land of Wallachia itself is the foundation, and the ruler's attention is an accelerator. Its grain production ranks first in the Balkans and third in Eastern Europe.

Grand Duke Mircea attached great importance to agriculture, built water conservancy projects, and organized manpower to explore for minerals. Under his governance in the past few years, the situation in Wallachia has made a qualitative leap.

The reforms pioneered by Peter have begun to bear fruit. Some positions can be filled by civilians, opening up space for upward mobility. This is unprecedented among European countries.

For the most important population, besides immigration, it is health care. The Grand Duke naturally took it seriously. His current status was not enough. At least he needed a castle.

The medical system in Wallachia can be divided into three types: hospitals run by the church, private clinics, and medical offices funded by the government. Hospitals run by churches provide free treatment, private clinics mainly sell potions and engage in bloodletting business, and public hospitals provide some better treatments, although they charge a fee but are still affordable.

In addition, there are also female midwives who are also part of the medical system. After all, they know the most about medical knowledge, and in order to obtain more labor and wealth, Wallachia's desire to have children has also increased. Their importance is growing.

Tulcea in the north of Dobroga was also a beneficiary. Because it was not far from Constanta, it was used as a transit point. It also prospered quickly by providing services such as warehouse hotels. In 1392, Peter himself raised the area to a town.

In the center of the town, Mayor Deleanu is announcing a new order: to invest in the construction of a new area as a residential area.

"I hope that all citizens can contribute to Tulcea, not for individuals, but for the town and the people who live here."

The mayor personally appointed by Dreanu was a native Wallachian who later came here with the development of Dobroga. Moreover, he himself had attended a missionary school and was literate, which allowed him to enter the government civil servant class. First he became an official in the Treasury, then dealt with the Hanseatic League and the Genoese, and was transferred to Tulcea a year ago.

The order was supported by residents and was immediately planned. And Deleanu began taking stock of how much money City Hall still had available.

"Sir, after counting, we still have 2,190 lei available."

"that's it?"

"Yes, that's all"

Deleanu had a headache. After all, building an area requires a lot of investment, and this little money alone is far from enough. He needs more funds.

"Put out half first, and the residents should also contribute." Deleanu thought of a way and decided to write a letter to the superiors requesting sources of funds. He knew his lord would not refuse.

"More than 300 people have settled here recently. Sir, the population of Tulcha has exceeded 3,000."

His subordinates reported this exciting news, but Deleanu was not as happy as he imagined.

"Three thousand, not even half of Constanta, and it must be the same in other aspects."

Deleanu has always wanted to prove his talent, and although Tulcea has undergone tremendous changes, he still wants to do more.

Tulcea is located near the Danube Delta. It was formerly a fortress during the Roman Empire. Because of the rich fishery resources here, the fish market developed.

Later, traders from Moldova also came here. Some merchants with insufficient financial resources will choose to build warehouses and accommodation in Tulcea, and export and import goods from this trading terminal. It is here that Tulcea collects transaction taxes and tolls, which are a source of their finances.

The largest income is from farming. Although the surrounding cultivated land is temporarily tax-free, there is still a lot of money to hand over because you don't want to be drafted. The government uses the money to hire others to build, which is a win-win situation.

Dobroga's tax revenue adopts a split-account model, that is, it is divided 50-50 between local and central governments, and tax personnel sent from above are responsible for statistics and then distribution. What is collected can be currency or agricultural products, which requires the tax collector's extremely strong calculation ability. Of course, the salary is not low either.

At this time, Tulcea was the second largest town in Dobroga, but it was still not comparable to the first Constantcha.

In terms of population, Constanta has more than 9,000 people, while Tulcea has only 3,000 people. In terms of taxation, Constanta's taxation is three times that of Tulcea; as for other things, it is even more incomparable. Forget about going beyond Constanta, think about how to expand.

----Dividing line----

Dobroga became the most active part of Wallachia. A lot of wealth and culture emerged from here, and the whole of Wallachia was driven here.

In addition to wealth, ideas from other places were brought here. The so-called revival of traditional ideas represented by Venice and Genoa was also brought to Constanta by some artistic elements.

Across the Mediterranean, trade in such goods between East and West had existed for centuries, but trade began to increase after the Crusades. Beginning in the 14th century, Venice competed with rivals such as Genoa and Florence for control of this trade route that ran from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to Alexandria. Venice and Genoa established trading centers and consulates in Alexandria, Damascus, Aleppo and even further afield. Europe mainly exports bulk goods such as textiles, wood, glass, soap, paper, copper, salt, gold and silver, while at the same time it often imports luxury goods and high-value goods. These goods ranged from spices (black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon), cotton, silk, satin, velvet and carpets, to opium, tulips, sandalwood, porcelain, horses, rhubarb and precious stones, as well as for textile manufacturing and bright dyes for painting, to name a few.

From Venice to London, they have had a gradual but profound impact on culture and consumption in various societies. From eating to painting, every area of ​​life was affected. Just as the domestic economy changed due to the import of foreign goods, so did art and culture. Painters like the Bellini brothers also enriched their palettes with pigments such as lapis lazuli, cinnabar and cinnabar. These pigments were imported from the East by Venice, and they provided the characteristic bright blue and red dyes of Renaissance paintings. When the Bellini brothers painted San Marco, they reproduced silk, velvet, meslin, cotton, tiles, carpets and even livestock with delicate brushstrokes, reflecting their awareness that these exchanges with the East were changing The sight, smell, and taste of the world, and the artist's ability to recreate them.

Many features of Venice are based on direct imitation of Oriental patterns and decorations. The Rialto market buildings are lined up parallel to the main road, which is strikingly similar to the urban layout of Aleppo, the trading capital of Syria. The windows, arches, and decorative facades of the buildings in the Doge's Palace and the Ducal Palace drew inspiration from the mosques, bazaars, and palaces of cities such as Cairo, Acre, and Tabriz, with which Venetian merchants traded for a long time. For hundreds of years. Venice is a typical Renaissance city, not only because it is a combination of commerce and aesthetic luxury, but also because it admires and imitates Eastern culture.