Societies Facing Hydrological Extremes: The Case of Urban Supplies in France (Middle Ages to End of the Eighteenth Century)

Abstract

This article aims to study a relatively overlooked subject: extreme hydrometeorological events, their effects on urban supplies of primary commodities, and the ways in which urban societies used to deal with them. The analysis focuses on French cities and spans a period from the Middle Ages to late eighteenth century. It studies the reactions of urban societies to supply issues, due to either hydrological excesses or deficits provoked by floods or droughts. The analysis shows that populations and urban authorities developed different kinds of adaptive strategies, especially to further social stability.