ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the exploitation of water power concern: the relation between energy and economic growth; the development of scientific knowledge and the exploitation of energy resources in any given period; the competition for energy resources which develops over time between various social groups. When one speaks of energy and its uses one is also referring to technology, scientific knowledge and man's capacity to harness what is required for further development of economic activities. The subsequent period of growth in the 15th-17th centuries would see traditional energy sources being exploited in various economic sectors, with the availability of such resources playing a key part in deciding the location of settlements. The flow of water both within and without medieval cities not only had an effect on the urban fabric but it also stimulated the development of manufacturing activities of great economic significance; one need only think of the example of Provins in Northern France.
