rural economy

Left Like their modern counterparts, medieval calendars could be illustrated with temporally appropriate images. This leaf, from a lavish 15th century manuscript from Bruges, is decorated with an agricultural scene featuring peasants harvesting grain using sickles. Saints’ feast days are listed in the centre of the page.

Seasons, saints, and feast days

When exactly did we begin to lose touch with the natural cycle of the sun, the stars, and the seasons? Was it at the start of the Industrial Revolution, when people moved from land-based activities to working in factories?