From village to town. Sob贸tka as an example of the medieval market town layout in Silesia
Wioletta Nowaczyk
doi:10.5277/arc190107
Abstract
The article deals with the layout of one of the earlier village locations in Silesia. Sob贸tka was a settlement in endowment of the monastery of the Order of St Augustine. Examination of current results of historical, architectural and archaeological research enables reconstruction of its layout. Analysis of locations of the oldest buildings, available maps and illustrative materials is one of the crucial methods. A plan of Sob贸tka presented in the work reflects its arrangement in the 1st quarter of the 13th century. Landscape was one of the factors which influenced its layout. 聽聽聽 To determine the original plots, the author used old units of measurement. In the Middle Ages, the village had the shape of a trapezoid. A special parcelling model was applied there. Settlement plots were a cord (rope) (47.1 m) wide and 2 cords long. The obtained scheme indicates a single location campaign and helps us to understand arrangements of settlements of that period. The village belongs to locations of an older type with an elongated market place. The town charter obtained by Sob贸tka in 1399 did not influence significantly its layout and development direction.